Gen Y: The Influence of E-Recruitment Techniques

Dissertation Manuscript

Submitted to Northcentral University

School of Business and Technology Management

in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

by

Christi Ellington, PHR, SHRM-CP

San Diego, California

May 2017




ProQuest Number: 10287821




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 Abstract

Human resources professionals are facing an extraordinary challenge as workforce

demographics continue to evolve, especially as it relates to Generation Y. Generation Y

(Gen Y), also referred to as Millennials, are those individuals born between 1979 and

2002. It has been noted that there are 53.5 million Gen Y workers in today’s labor force,

and human resources professionals must refine their recruitment strategies that include

social networking sites. This research study looks closely at the inability to recruit Gen Y

in proportionate numbers to the labor force from the human resources recruiter’s

perspective in a two-year college system, in the Southeastern United States. This study

utilizes semi-structured interviews to obtain data in order to build upon current literature

and theory and to make generalizations about effective recruitment methods especially as

it relates to Generation Y. A sample of 10 human resources professionals from a two-

year college system, in the Southeastern United States, participated in this case study.

Data examination included the software application, NVivo, for assistance in coding and

pattern identification. Nine major themes emerged: (a) most effective, (b) most effective

for Generation Y, (c) least effective, (d) least effective for Generation Y, (e) technology

use, (f) Facebook, LinkedIn, other social networking sites, (g) other E-recruitment

techniques, (h) financial costs, and (i) privacy and legal issues. This study complements

the scholarly literature on the technology acceptance theory and e-recruitment methods

by utilizing the narratives of human resources professionals to identify the various

recruitment techniques to ensure a diverse group of candidates in the hiring of individuals

for positions. Results, based on the overall response from human resources professionals,

in this study, confirmed that various techniques are required in the recruitment process.

ii
The conclusions drawn from this study were based on the transcripts of 10 participant’s

semi-structured interviews, completed with the human resources professionals, in a two-

year college system, in the Southeastern United States, who participated by providing

their rich experiences in the recruitment of candidates including Gen Y. Future research

is recommended to better understand social media usage by the human resources

professionals.

iii
 Acknowledgements

I dedicate this dissertation to my two biggest cheerleaders and support network,

my amazing husband, Rodney, and my Aunt Mary Nell. They have been my rocks

throughout my entire college career as well as throughout my journey to obtain my Ph.D.

They have both encouraged me never to give up, as I completed my coursework over

many weekends and holidays throughout the years. I appreciate their endless love and

support through the challenges I have faced. Numerous sacrifices were necessary to

complete this journey to complete my dissertation, and both of these individuals were my

foundation of support. They have my enduring gratitude and undying love.

I am very thankful for my chair, coach, and mentor at Northcentral University,

Dr. Henry Luckel, who has provided me with extraordinary support through this

scholarly journey. He has provided me with direction, encouragement, patience, and

unbounded hours of availability. I am writing this page because he believed that I had

the potential to obtain my Ph.D., and he provided me with invaluable support to reach my

goal. Thanks, Dr. Luckel!

I also want to acknowledge my committee members for their attention to detail,

expertise, feedback, and suggestions to improve my dissertation manuscript. I could not

have reached this milestone without their expertise and guidance throughout this journey,

as well as their kindness and support.

iv
 Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1

Statement of the Problem .............................................................................................. 3

Purpose of the Study ..................................................................................................... 4
Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................. 5
Research Questions ....................................................................................................... 7
Nature of the Study ....................................................................................................... 8
Significance of the Study .............................................................................................. 8
Definition of Key Terms ............................................................................................... 9
Summary ..................................................................................................................... 10

Chapter 2: Literature Review ............................................................................................ 11

Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................... 12

Summary ..................................................................................................................... 52

Chapter 3: Research Method ............................................................................................. 55

Research Design.......................................................................................................... 56
Population ................................................................................................................... 56
Materials/Instrumentation ........................................................................................... 57
Study Procedures ........................................................................................................ 58
Data Collection and Analysis...................................................................................... 60
Assumptions................................................................................................................ 62
Limitations .................................................................................................................. 62
Delimitations ............................................................................................................... 63
Ethical Assurances ...................................................................................................... 63
Summary ..................................................................................................................... 65

Chapter 4: Findings ........................................................................................................... 66

Trustworthiness of Data .............................................................................................. 67

Results ......................................................................................................................... 69

v
 Evaluation of Findings ................................................................................................ 83
Summary ..................................................................................................................... 86

Chapter 5: Implications, Recommendations, and Conclusions ........................................ 88

Implications................................................................................................................. 90
Recommendations for application .............................................................................. 97
Recommendations for future research ........................................................................ 99
Conclusions ............................................................................................................... 100
References ................................................................................................................. 103

Appendix A ..................................................................................................................... 116

vi
 List of Tables

Table 1. Case Study Participants Demographic Data Results……………………..……70

vii
 List of Figures

Figure 1. Most Effective Recruitment Techniques for Generation Y Data Results............72

Figure 2. Least Effective Recruitment Techniques for Generation Y Data Results...........73
Figure 3. Technology Usage in Recruitment......................................................................75
Figure 4. E-recruitment Techniques Data Results.............................................................86

viii
 Chapter 1: Introduction
One of the current topics in human resources revolves around the use of social

media in the recruitment process. Social media use has become an integral part of daily

life (Vitak, Lampe, Gray, & Ellison, 2012). Facebook is frequently used in business and

personal settings, and users may refer to Facebook and other on-line communication tools

as a social network site (SNS). According to Vitak et al. (2012), “Sixty-five percent of

online American adults now have a profile on an SNS” (Vitak et al., 2012, p. 555). With

the increased usage of social media, many organizations must look at the policies and

practices surrounding the usage of SNSs. There has been a fast explosion in the use of

social communication tools; and people are using SNSs to communicate both on and off

the job, which impacts organizations in many ways (Vitak et al., 2012).

Social media is a term that can be utilized to describe such technology as blogs,

wikis, Rich Site Summary (RSS) feeds, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube (Basu, 2015).

Social media allows users to create profiles, share information with contacts, and view

the connections and profiles of other users (Melanthiou, Pavlou, & Constantinou, 2015).

Social networking use and misuse have made a significant impact on recruitment and

hiring decisions within organizations (Hidy & McDonald, 2013).

According to Ngai, Tao, and Moon (2015), as many as four generations are in the

workplace to date with their preferred mediums of communication. Social media has

significantly changed the way in which employees and organizations communicate with

each other (Ngai et al., 2015). Users find social media usage can cause both positive and

negative influences. Jenkins-Guarnieri, Johnson, and Wright (2013) found that social

media allows both young and old to communicate and reconnect with acquaintances,
 2

classmates, and relatives. Social networking is integrated into everyday life as

Generation Y increases their Internet usage.

One of the concerns an organization must address is the decision to allow the use

of SNSs. Once a decision is made to use SNSs, organizations must set user guidelines

regarding posting inappropriate materials and sensitive proprietary data. According to

Green, Lopez, and Venters (2012), landlines, mail, and even email are becoming obsolete

due to the shift toward the use of social media. Due to the demographic changes in

organizations, employees are familiar with the latest advances in technology, and it is

common place to use SNSs. Based on the research, there will be an increased shift in

females in the workplace, and females are more likely to use SNSs for communication

(Green et al., 2012)

The use of the latest technology allows organizations to accelerate their business

potential. SNSs may be used to decrease the learning curve for technological advances

that have the possibility of giving organizations a competitive edge (Green et al., 2012)

Employees are familiar with SNSs, and there is a problem arising because employees are

blending both personal and professional usage of SNSs. Policies and procedures

regarding the use of SNSs should be established by human resources professionals in an

effort to avoid costly lawsuits and the risks involved with publicizing misinformation via

the various SNSs. SNSs can be useful in the recruitment process, and human resources

professionals must determine the pros and cons surrounding the usage of social media to

allow them to see if the benefits outweigh the risks (Green et al., 2012).

The impact of social media usage in the field of human resources management is

a critical topic of interest for many business organizations, and social media usage

2
 3

requires the human resource professionals to investigate how to manage social media

usage as a business communication tool (Wright, 2015). Social media tools can be used

to increase communication, which can improve employee engagement with all employees

and business stakeholders. For example, social media can be used as a marketing tool by

organizations as well as a problem-solving tool used to “interact with the customers”

(Edosomwan, Kouame, Prakasan, Seymour, & Watson, 2011, p.87).

Jerome, Scales, Whithem, & Quain, (2014) stated that human resources

professionals are facing an exceptional challenge as workforce demographics continue to

evolve, especially as it relates to Generation Y. Generation Y (Gen Y), also referred to as

Millennials, are those individuals born between 1979 and 2002 Jerome et al., 2014

(Jerome et al., 2014). Black (2015) states that there are 53.5 million Gen Y workers in

today’s labor force, and human resources professionals must refine their recruitment

strategies that include SNSs. The topic for this research is the inability to recruit Gen Y

in proportionate numbers to the labor force from the human resources recruiters

perspective in a two-year college system, in the Southeastern United States.

Statement of the Problem

The recruitment of qualified candidates for open positions within organizations is

an issue (Chong, Tan, & Teoh, 2013). The specific problem being addressed is the

inability to recruit Gen Y in proportionate numbers to the labor force from the human

resources professional’s perspective in a two-year college system, in the Southeastern

United States (Burch & Strawderman, 2014; Holm, 2012). Gen Y is described as

workers who were born between 1979 and 2002 (Jerome et al., 2014). According to

Schawbel (2014), 53% of human resources recruiters expressed complications in

3
 4

recruiting candidates from Gen Y. Holm (2012) asserts that social networking

technology plays a significant role in identifying the job of choice for Gen Y workers.

Human resources professionals need a clear understanding of the barriers to person-to-job

fit in order to recruit candidates that have the potential for growth within the organization

(Burch & Strawderman, 2014; Holm, 2012).

While e-recruitment system design has been addressed in the literature as a means

for improved employee recruitment and retention, research is lacking on e-recruitment

technology from the human resources recruiter’s perspective (Holm, 2012). Human

resources professionals have been reluctant to use e-recruitment techniques that can

impact the perception of these talented individuals who are entering the workforce

(Chong et al., 2013; Jerome et al., 2014). Gen Y currently makes up approximately one-

third of the U.S. workforce; and by 2025, 75% of the workforce will be comprised of Gen

Y workers who were born between 1979 and 2002 (Jerome et al., 2014; Wright, 2015).

The recruitment of Gen Y is vital to the success of any organization especially in

government organizations (Burch & Strawderman, 2014).

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore and identify problems and

issues surrounding the inability to recruit Gen Y employees in proportionate numbers to

the labor force. Using the case study method, a purposeful sample of 23 human resource

professionals within a two-year college system, in the Southeastern United States were

asked to participate in this study, including one college system which has a system-wide

human resources office and a human resources office at each of the 22 locations. Semi-

structured interviews were used to collect data regarding the perceptions of human

4
 5

resource professionals to fulfill the purpose of this study. An analysis of all interviews

was conducted in order to identify the general patterns in the recruitment processes

between each of the participants, within a two-year college system, in the Southeastern

United States.

Theoretical Framework

“The technology acceptance model is an information systems theory that models

how users come to accept and use a technology” (Elmorshidy, 2013, p.590). Various

factors can influence the individual’s decision to use technology such as social

networking sites based on the user’s view of how useful the technology may be to career

advancement and job performance. This may help shape the user’s expectations as well

as the actual outcomes (Elmorshidy, 2013; Patsiotis, Hughes, & Weber, 2013). User

perceptions vary, which may explain why social networking sites have increased in

popularity as individuals are able to use diverse communication channels to effectively

reach out to all stakeholders (Koenig & Schlaegel, 2014).

Social media technologies such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have changed

communication significantly over the last decade, especially for the younger generations

(Prohaska, 2011). Human resource professionals are facing a challenge from the use of

social media as a personal and professional tool of communication in the workplace.

Social media usage is requiring organizations to look at their policies and procedures in

order to determine how social media should be managed as a current form of business

communication. According to Prohaska (2011), “The challenges and opportunities that

this brings to shaping the evolution of the workplace – in terms of methods, tools, culture,

and technologies – are now only starting to surface” (p. 64).

5
 6

Social media is a part of our lives today. Many individuals post information on a

daily basis through a social network site (SNS). Vitak et al. stated (2012), “Sixty-five

percent of online American adults now have a profile on an SNS” (p. 555). Social

network sites can be used to reach individuals and business contacts around the World;

and due to the increased usage of SNSs, organizations are forced to implement policies

and procedures to police the social media activity of all employees (Vitak et al., 2012).

For example, a 2014 study by the Pew Research Center found that almost eighty percent

of organizations worldwide have policies in place to control social media usage (Wright,

2015).

Green, Lopez, and Venters (2012) stated that landlines, mail, and even email are

becoming obsolete due to the shift toward the use of social media. Workplace

demographics are shifting, and many employees want to use the latest technology.

Organizations must keep up with the times in technology in order to expand their growth

opportunities; and at the same time, organizations must create standard practices and

policies immediately in order to circumvent expensive lawsuits from the inappropriate

usage of social media as a communication tool both on and off the job.

Research shows that several theoretical models, including the (1) five-factor

model of the big five inventory; (2) Kouzes and Pozner’s five practices of exemplary

leadership; (3) the model of moral intensity; and (4) the technology acceptance model,

have been used concerning the effect of social media usage in organizations (Curran &

Lennon, 2011; Green et al., 2012; Jones & Mainiero, 2012; Mucan & Ozguven, 2013).

This study will focus on the technology acceptance theory, which may also be referred to

as the technology acceptance model, as it relates to the effect of social media usage in the

6
 7

personal and professional environment.

According to Curran and Lennon (2011), the technology acceptance model

particularly examines a) ease of use and b) usefulness. Ease of use has been utilized in

multiple studies; and in the social media arena, one could look at the relationship between

ease of use and the individual’s perception of social networking sites. Usefulness is

critical to most end users of technology, and this model could also be employed to

explore the relationship between the usefulness of social media and an individual’s

attitude toward social networking sites (Curran & Lennon, 2011).

Well-developed scales and theories are needed to effectively measure the

influence of social media usage on an organization’s recruitment policies and procedures.

After a careful review of the literature, the technology acceptance theory appears to be

the best match to appropriately identify the gaps in the current literature (Curran &

Lennon, 2011; Elmorshidy, 2013; Koenig & Schlaegel, 2014; Patsiotis, Hughes, &

Weber, 2013). This study adds to the existing literature on the technology acceptance

theory.

Research Questions

In order to explore how recruitment techniques facilitate the recruitment process

for Gen Y from the human resources recruiter’s perspective in a two-year college system,

in the Southeastern United States, the following research questions apply.

Q1: How successful are the recruitment techniques utilized in recruiting qualified

Gen Y candidates in a two-year college system, in the Southeastern United States?

Q2: In each two-year college, who determines which recruitment techniques to

use?

7
 8

Q3: How do the human resources professionals in a two-year college system, in

the Southeastern United States, utilize e-recruitment techniques to recruit Gen Y

candidates?

Nature of the Study

A qualitative case study was utilized for this research study. A case study allows

one to investigate unidentified movements within an organization. A multiple-case study

allows flexibility in order for the researcher to study contemporary practices in the actual

workplace (Yin, 2014). Such a study allows for the influence of information through

theoretical framing and identifies the best practices for human resources professionals in

the current work environment. The background of a multiple-case study helps align the

problem statement with the research questions (Yin, 2014). The case study method is

used in the fields of education, medicine, and political science (Leedy & Ormrod, 2009).

This method is useful in research of topics that have very little information on record. A

case study allows the researcher to collect and analyze new data as well as review old

documents and records. Qualitative research is a subjective approach that allowed the

participants to share their personal experiences during the interview process of this study

(Trochim & Donnelly, 2008). The multiple-case study method, along with the thorough

literature review allowed the researcher to make methodical generalizations from this

study (Yin, 2014).

Significance of the Study

The use of e-recruitment techniques such as social media by human resources

professionals may contribute to, or adversely impact, the ability to recruit the talent

required to meet hiring demands within an organization. This case study expands the

8
 9

existing body of knowledge regarding the use of e-recruitment in employment decisions

involving members of Generation Y. This investigation allows the opportunity to add to

the theory on e-recruitment usage in the hiring process. Jerome et al., (2014) stated that

human resources professionals are facing an exceptional challenge as workforce

demographics continue to evolve especially as it relates to Generation Y. The results of

this study demonstrate whether the usage of e-recruitment techniques improves the ability

to hire members of Generation Y.

Definition of Key Terms

The following section gives a brief explanation of the key terms used in this

qualitative study. As some of the terms may be unfamiliar to the reader, the definitions

assist in understanding how they may apply to this study.

E-recruitment. E-recruitment is the process that involves the recruitment of

candidates on-line using applications such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube

(Allden & Harris, 2013).

Generation Y (Gen Y). Generation Y includes those individuals born between

1979 and 2002, and Gen Y may also be referred to as Millennials (Jerome et al., 2014).

Social Media. Social Media are on-line applications that allow users to build and

transfer user content (Curran & Lennon, 2013). Social media refers to digital technology

that facilitates interactive information, user-created content, and collaboration (Elefant,

2011). Social media includes Facebook and LinkedIn (Lieber, 2011). In this study,

social networking sites will be the main point of focus.

Social Networking sites (SNS). Social networking sites are Internet-based

applications such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube utilized to allow users to

9
 10

connect both personally and professionally by giving access to friends and coworkers to

view the profiles and send messages (Curran & Lennon, 2013). Social networking sites

are useful in hiring and retaining current and past employees, as well as finding new

recruits (Davison et al., 2011).

Summary

The case study method lends itself to the analysis of e-recruitment techniques

such as social networking. Using the case study method, a purposeful sample of 23

human resource professionals within a two-year college system, in the Southeastern

United States were asked to participate in this study that includes one college system

which has a system-wide human resources office and a human resources office at each of

the 22 locations. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data regarding the

perceptions of human resource professionals to fulfill the purpose of this study. This

qualitative case study allowed the flexibility necessary to obtain the participant data for

this study, and it was paramount to ensure that any issues of bias were eliminated

(Creswell, 2014). Data were coded in order to provide confidentiality and to ensure each

human resources professional remained anonymous. Data analysis began during the data

collection process, and this allowed the researcher to determine if there is any

triangulation of the data (Leedy & Ormrod, 2009).

10
 11

Chapter 2: Literature Review

The purpose of this literature review was to provide a foundation as a basis for

this study on the inability to recruit Gen Y in proportionate numbers to the labor force

from the human resources professionals’ perspective in a two-year college system, in the

Southeastern United States. This literature review was intended to identify various topics

concerning the recruitment of Gen Y and how social networking may or may not have an

impact on identifying qualified candidates. A careful review of scholarly research studies

guided the development of this research topic. This comprehensive review of the

literature explored the changes social media has brought into the recruitment and

selection of today’s workforce.

This scholarly literature review was conducted through electronic library

databases such as EBSCO and ProQuest. The literature sources obtained through various

searches were both timely and relevant; electronic sources were retrieved, as well as

physical books and journals. Access to these electronic databases was obtained through

Northcentral University, Southern Crescent Technical College, and other Internet-

accessible resources. Advanced search criteria were utilized to reduce the examination of

results and to ensure the sources were peer-reviewed journal articles and sources from the

preceding five years. Keywords and axioms used to explore the sources available on this

topic include: challenges in human resources, employee engagement, e-recruitment,

generations, Generation Y, human resources perceptions, human resources hiring

differences, job satisfaction, Millennials, policies, procedures, recruitment, recruiting,

recruitment theory, redefined workforce, redefined workplace, retention, selection, social

capital, social media, social networking, talent management, technology usage.

11
 12

After the careful review of scholarly literature, it was evident that social

networking has an impact the recruitment and selection of all employees. Some of the

key areas of interest included such topics as the background and history of social media,

challenges in human resources, demographics and generational differences, social media

communication, social media policies and procedures, social media and human resources,

privacy, and social responsibility. These topics were explored in vast detail and

explained in this scholarly review of the literature.

Theoretical Framework

Social media technologies such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have changed

communication significantly over the last decade, especially for the younger generations

(Prohaska, 2011). Human resource professionals are facing a challenge from the use of

social media as a personal and professional tool of communication in the workplace.

Social media usage is requiring organizations to look at their policies and procedures in

order to determine how social media should be managed as a current form of business

communication. According to Prohaska (2011), “The challenges and opportunities that

this brings to shaping the evolution of the workplace – in terms of methods, tools, culture,

and technologies – are now only starting to surface” (p. 64).

Social media is a part of our lives today. Many individuals post information on a

daily basis through a social network site (SNS). Vitak et al. stated (2012), “Sixty-five

percent of online American adults now have a profile on an SNS” (p. 555). Social

network sites can be used to reach individuals and business contacts around the World;

and due to the increased usage of SNSs, organizations are forced to implement policies

and procedures to police the social media activity of all employees (Vitak et al., 2012).

12
 13

For example, a 2014 study by the Pew Research Center found that almost eighty percent

of organizations worldwide have policies in place to control social media usage (Wright,

2015).

Green, Lopez, and Venters (2012) stated that landlines, mail, and even email are

becoming obsolete due to the shift toward the use of social media. Workplace

demographics are shifting, and many employees want to use the latest technology.

Organizations must keep up with the times in technology in order to expand their growth

opportunities. At the same time, organizations must create standard practices and

policies immediately in order to circumvent expensive lawsuits from the inappropriate

usage of social media as a communication tool both on and off the job.

Research shows several theoretical models that would be appropriate to this study,

including the five-factor model of the big five inventory; Kouzes and Pozner’s five

practices of exemplary leadership; the model of moral intensity; and the technology

acceptance model. These models have been employed in research into the effect of social

media usage in organizations (Curran & Lennon, 2011; Green, Lopez, & Venters, 2012;

Jones & Mainiero, 2012; Mucan & Ozguven, 2013). This study will focus on the

technology acceptance theory, which may also be referred to as the technology

acceptance model, because it appears to be the best match to appropriately identify the

gaps in the current literature as it relates to the recruitment of prospective employees

(Curran & Lennon, 2011; Elmorshidy, 2013; Koenig & Schlaegel, 2014; Patsiotis,

Hughes, & Weber, 2013).

“The technology acceptance model is an information systems theory that models

how users come to accept and use a technology” (Elmorshidy, 2013, p.590). Various

13
 14

factors can influence the individual’s decision to use technology such as social

networking sites based on the user’s view of how helpful the technology may be to career

advancement and job performance. The use of this theory may help shape the user’s

expectations as well as the actual outcomes (Elmorshidy, 2013; Patsiotis, Hughes, &

Weber, 2013). User perceptions vary, which may explain why social networking sites

have increased in popularity, as users can use diverse communication channels to

effectively reach out to all stakeholders (Koenig & Schlaegel, 2014).

According to Curran and Lennon (2011), the technology acceptance model

particularly examines the ease of use and usefulness. Ease of use has been examined in

multiple studies; and in the social media arena, the focus is on the relationship between

ease of use and the individual’s perception of social networking sites. Usefulness is

critical to most end users of technology, and this model could be used to explore the

relationship between the usefulness of social media and an individual’s attitude toward

social networking sites (Curran & Lennon, 2011).

Well-developed scales and theories are needed to effectively measure the

influence of social media usage on an organization’s recruitment policies and procedures.

After a careful review of the literature, the technology acceptance theory appears to be

the best match to appropriately identify the gaps in the current literature (Curran &

Lennon, 2011; Elmorshidy, 2013; Koenig & Schlaegel, 2014; Patsiotis, Hughes, &

Weber, 2013). This theory stated that the ease of technology use was a factor when the

user decided to accept and utilize new systems (Elmorshidy, 2013). The ease of use and

perceived usefulness are both factors that impacted the end users attitudes and behaviors

toward the use of new technology methods. However, limited scholarly work exists from

14
 15

research conducted in a two-year college system, in the Southeastern United States. This

study aims to add to the existing literature on the technology acceptance theory.

Background and History of Social Media

According to Edosomwan et al. (2011), social media is making waves in the

business world, and it is changing how individuals and organizations interact and

communicate. Digital technology has evolved significantly over the last five decades;

however, social media sites began transforming in 2003 and 2004 with the addition of

MySpace, LinkedIn, and Facebook. For example, Facebook was originally limited to

Harvard students, but in 2009, Facebook usage increased worldwide. Facebook is

extremely popular in Asia, the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore,

New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Vietnam. Social media is used by many teams in

organizations, and this has resulted in improved team effectiveness. Organizations are

using social media to build and reinforce brand names, and social media is cost effective

which allows businesses around the world to sign on frequently (Edosomwan et al.,

2011).

Social media is a term that can be utilized to describe technology such as blogs,

wikis, Rich Site Summary (RSS) feeds, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube (Basu, 2015).

Social media allows users to create profiles, share information with contacts, and view

the connections and profiles of other users (Melanthiou et al., 2015). Rooke (2013)

suggested that various types of social media might be utilized by Fortune 500 companies

as it has become increasingly important to brand the organization. Social responsibility

efforts may also be displayed through social media. Many people use social networking

to create an online image of themselves and/or their business providing demographic

15
 16

information, pictures, and messages to share with individuals in their group (Rooke,

2013). Basu (2015) found that social media has deep penetration in the world of

business, and brand perception can be influenced by social media communications.

Passive individuals may utilize an organization's social networking site to search for new

job opportunities, and these individuals are generally suitable applicants who have a

stable work history. Unfortunately, government agencies are not as likely to utilize social

networking sites, and one could infer that government agencies are missing the top

candidates for openings within the organization (Basu, 2015).

Turbitt (2012) stated that research indicates that social media allows millions of

users to communicate, and it is not just communication about the latest tabloid gossip.

Social media skills may allow employees to collaborate on ideas and projects from across

the ocean and may even gain a better understanding of topics through social networking.

Facebook and Twitter are both great tools to connect with advocacy groups, co-workers,

educators, and professionals. Social networking allows us to share all types of

information, but most importantly if someone shares their information and knowledge,

everyone can learn from it (Turbitt, 2012). McFarland and Ployhart (2015) added that

organizations might benefit from the usage of social networking. Social networking

creates a broad network of users with many experiences, and since social networking is

available almost anywhere and anytime, organizations can create social groups that allow

workers to collaborate on new ideas (McFarland & Polyhart, 2015).

Social media is utilized by 67% of citizens in the United States from ages 12 and

up, and Facebook is utilized by as many as 57% of adults in America (King, 2015).

Ellison, Gray, Lampe, and Vitak (2012), reported social networking sites are popular

16
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among millions of Americans, and Facebook is one of the most popular sites. Based on

this study of adult Facebook users, 73% are likely to be female. The study results also

indicated that 84.6% are likely to be white and 39 years old on average. Those with a

bachelor’s degree who participate on Facebook were numbered at 88.5%, and those

people were likely to have co-workers as Facebook friends. Facebook is used

successfully as a professional tool, and Facebook allows employees to connect and

communicate with co-workers about their positions and responsibilities (Ellison et al.,

2012).

Ellison, et al., (2012) went on to say that employees are using Facebook to share

information, and many individuals have multiple accounts in order to separate their

personal and professional contacts. It will be necessary for users to censor their accounts

in order to ensure appropriate communication (Ellison et al., 2012). Social networking is

beneficial to building teams and an environment for open collaboration, and leaders may

utilize social networking to implement cultural changes within an organization

(McFarland & Polyhart, 2015). An individual’s social media account may face security

threats, and many users are not aware of the information that can be gleaned from one’s

personal account (Rooke, 2013). Individuals need to be knowledgeable of security

settings provided by the social networking site, and vulnerable users may put their lives

in danger along with their group (Rooke, 2013).

Challenges in Human Resources

The recruitment and selection of human capital have become a strategic initiative

for both private and public organizations (Aleknavicius, 2016; Neiberline, Simanoff,

Lewis, & Steinhoff, 2015). It is an overwhelming challenge to create recruitment and

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selection practices to include all of the differences among the generations (Aleknavicius,

2016). As a large portion of the workforce retires over the next ten years, private and

public human resources professionals will be challenged to restore the workplace with a

trained workforce (Kultalahti & Viitala, 2015). With more than a 50-year span in ages in

some organizations, human resource management has a challenging task of creating

initiatives to keep as many as five generations engaged in the workplace (Aleknavicius,

2016). Nieberline et al., (2015) found that government agencies are unable to retain

employees with the knowledge and skills necessary to be a successful manager in the

future due to the high turnover. Millennials are entering the workforce in increasing

numbers, and it is estimated that Millennials will represent 75% of U.S. workers by 2025.

Government agencies must implement recruitment and selection procedures that

eliminate the “red tape” that causes the slowing of recruitment and selection of new hires.

Millennials need clear expectations concerning job responsibilities, access to promotional

prospects, flexibility in the work environment, access to technology, and continuous

feedback on their performance. Organizations must implement millennial-friendly

strategies in order to be attractive to candidates with the competencies necessary to take

the organization to the next level (Neiberline et al., 2015). Human resources

professionals have the daunting task of finding competent individuals to commit to an

organization (Kultalahti & Viitala, 2015).

Communication is another critical challenge to human resource professionals

(Aleknavicius, 2016). Management communication with employees at every level gives

employees the confidence and drive to perform their jobs and buy into the organization’s

culture (Gherman, Brad, & Dincu, 2016). According to Gherman, Brad, and Dinch

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(2016), human resources professionals must implement measures to bring strategic

management principles into the strategy of hiring and retaining human capital. Employee

engagement builds teamwork and relationships while sharing information and knowledge

to compete in a global market (Gherman, Brad, & Dincu, 2016). Generation Y looks for

a flexible work schedule while taking on additional responsibilities, which make them

feel included within the organization (Kultalahti & Viitala, 2015). Organizational

communication practices impact human resources professionals, and the basic managerial

functions require managers to communicate effectively (Miller & Gordon, 2015). The

success or failure of an organization hinges on its communication practices, and the

employee selection process depends on communicating the organization’s culture and

environment (Miller & Gordon, 2015).

Millennials are not attracted to the same benefits packages as previous

generations, and human resource professionals must build flexibility into their programs

in order to meet the needs of the employees (Aleknavicius, 2016). Faragher reported that

workforce demographics are shifting, and employees are working longer. Workers over

the age of 50 constitute approximately 30% of the current workforce, and organizations

are unprepared to meet the needs of a diverse workforce. Small organizations are not

keeping pace with the larger organizations to deal with the aging workforce, and

employee retention is an issue with workers in the 45 to 64 year age range (Faragher,

2015). One of the greatest challenges facing human resources professionals is to create a

work environment that meets the basic needs of Generation Y while balancing the needs

of older generations (Kultalahti & Viitala, 2015).

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With multiple generations building our current employee base, human resource

managers must be prepared to meet the challenges within the current workplace (Amayah

& Gedro, 2014). Human resources professionals must be careful not to stereotype the

multi-generational workforce by their identifiable characteristics, and it is crucial to

incorporate generational differences into organizational procedures (Amayah & Gedro,

2014; Faragher, 2015). Amayah and Gedro (2014) suggested that some managers have

the mindset that older employees are not able to incorporate new technology as quickly

which increases the amount of training required for this group of workers, and studies

have found that each generation has their own capacity for learning concerning the use of

technology. Generational stereotyping can decrease the promotional prospects within the

organization for current employees. Organizations must implement inclusive multi-

generational human resources strategies for recruitment and selection, pay and

performance, and training (Amayah & Gedro, 2014). According to Faragher (2015), in

today’s workforce, it is not uncommon for managers to be much younger than the

employees within the department. Young managers must value older workers in order to

retain the older workforce, and many of the older employees have knowledge and

training that is vital to an organization’s success. Organizations must become creative

and restructure compensation and rewards in order to maintain a multi-generational

workforce (Faragher, 2015). In order to continue to motivate workers, organizations

must provide opportunities for training and development, offer varied job designs to

provide challenges in daily activities, provide clear communication with opportunities for

socialization, and offer flexibility to maintain a balance between work and life outside the

organization (Kultalahti & Viitala, 2015).

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Creating a competitive workforce is a challenge for human resource managers,

and employees have an impact on an organization's financial performance (Brito &

Oliveira, 2016). Employee performance contributes to an organization’s competitiveness

in the market. Organizational policies and procedures must closely align with the

organization’s human resource procedures, and a highly trained workforce with

specialized skills are essential to increasing organizational competitiveness. Building

human capital for an organization should be paramount to increasing the performance of

the organization (Brito & Oliveira, 2016; Gherman, Brad, & Dincu, 2016). Human

resource management can increase an organization’s competitive advantage, and the

recruitment and selection of human capital should be paramount to an organization’s

management practices (Gherman, Brad, & Dincu, 2016). Management and supervisors

must be recruited and trained to offer feedback and support to employees, especially

Generation Y (Kultalahti & Viitala, 2015). Training must be provided in order to build

the organization’s knowledge base, and performance appraisals are essential to building a

motivated workforce. Promotional opportunities provide employees a sense of

accomplishment for hard work (Gherman, Brad, & Dincu, 2016).

Demographic and Generational Differences

Research studies are focusing on the demographic and generational differences of

social media users (Al-Asfour & Lettau, 2014; Bolton et al., 2013; Curran & Lennon,

2013; Haynes, 2011). As many as four generations may be working for the same

organization, and management must be knowledgeable of the diverse human resources

available to the workforce (Al-Asfour & Lettau, 2014; Jora & Khan, 2014). Al-Asfour

and Lettau (2014) noted that the values and beliefs of the different generations vary. With

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diversity in the workforce on the rise, organizations must find ways to lead the different

individuals in the workforce efficiently. Generation Y appears to be selfish and prefer

independence. Generation Y prefers collaboration and communication as well as instant

gratification from managers. Managers must learn to give feedback that is in a positive

form (Al-Asfour & Lettau, 2014). Based on research from Brown, Thomas, and

Bosselman (2015), Generation Y is the most difficult to retain due to their value of their

personal time and the gap in ages among the workforce. This group of individuals does

not fear to change jobs if the working conditions do not meet their preferences (Brown,

Thomas, & Bosselman, 2015). Generation Y will infiltrate the workforce over the next

decade, and organizations must be ready for the change in the values of the younger

generation in order to increase retention (Winter & Jackson, 2014). The values of

Generation Y must be a close match with the values and beliefs communicated by an

organization, and relationships between workers and managers must satisfy the need for

open communication and socialization to foster a successful relationship that ensures

longevity within the organization (Winter & Jackson, 2014).

Costanza and Finkelstein (2015) offered for consideration the idea that

generational stereotypes have developed inside organizations, and management must be

able to manage the challenges. Generation Y is not the only one that values technology,

and it is critical not to change directions within the organization based on one group of

employees. Promotional opportunities are important, especially to Generation Y, and

management must be careful not to label one group of employees over another before

making promotional decisions. This can lead to negative consequences for employee

morale, as well as legal issues, and it is essential not to treat groups of individuals

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differently as all members of a group do not have the same work ethics (Costanza &

Finkelstein, 2015).

In a study concerning LinkedIn, Claybaugh and Haseman (2013) found as the

number of social networking sites has increased, professional workers have embraced

social media as a communication tool. Adding to the review of social media, Bolton et

al., (2013), reported that human resources professionals are concerned with attracting,

hiring, and managing employees from multiple generations, and it can be difficult to

create a one-size-fits-all culture. Organizations must keep up with the changes in social

media usage in order to attract and engage younger adults in today’s workforce (Bolton et

al., 2013). For instance, social networking can be used in many areas of an organization,

and studies look at ease of use, usefulness, enjoyment, social influences, as well as

attitudes and behavioral intentions of the end users (Curran & Lennon, 2013). Ozguven

and Mucan (2013) posited that social networking technologies are developing at breaking

levels, and almost 75% of adult Internet users under the age of 25 utilize some type of

social networking. In this study, Facebook was utilized more frequently than any other

social networking site for the purpose of communication-based on individual personality

traits (Ozguven & Mucan, 2013).

According to Haynes (2011), organizations can have as many as four different

generations in the same workplace all with different attitudes. Researchers have

discovered that there is a need for workspaces that meet the needs of all age groups in

order to create areas for workers to concentrate and collaborate (Haynes, 2011; Jora &

Khan, 2014). Jora and Khan (2014) found that there is not a simple process for

determining how to motivate employees successfully. Al-Asfour and Lettau (2014)

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added that organizations with multiple generations in the workplace must incorporate

different leadership tactics which can lead to discrimination issues. Organizational rules

and regulations must be clear and allow frequent feedback on job performance (Al-

Asfour & Lettau, 2014).

Generation Y will make up 75% of the global workforce by 2030 (Kilber,

Barclay, & Ohmer, 2014). Organizations must face the challenge of hiring and retaining

employees especially Generation Y (Aruna & Anitha, 2015). Generation Y is extremely

social, and they look for opportunities for advancement within an organization. This

generation prefers a balance between work, family, and friends. Lekhanya (2013)

revealed that most participants considered their cultural beliefs to be important to

selecting a social networking tool (Lekhanya, 2013). Individual social media attitudes

and behaviors may vary based on age, gender, marital status, and parenthood (Curran &

Lennon, 2012). Motivation is not only about meeting the employees’ needs and interests;

employees are looking for the right position with the right organization that closely

matches their personal expectations (Jora & Khan, 2014). Generational diversity is

important to the health of an organization’s human resources, and motivational factors

vary depending on the differences of each generation (Jora & Khan, 2014).

The results of a recent survey conducted from a sample of Generation Y

participants revealed that these individuals stay connected through their cell phones day

in and day out (Kilber, Barclay, & Ohmer, 2014). Social technology such as Facebook

and LinkedIn are essential to Generation Y in the workplace as it relates to

communication within the organization (Aruna & Anitha, 2014). Generation Y is

technologically savvy and expects to be able to use technology in the workplace both

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personally and professionally (Aruna & Anitha, 2014; Brown, Thomas, & Bosselman,

2015; Chi, Maier, & Gursoy, 2013; Kilber, Barclay, & Ohmer, 2014). The work

environment must include promotional opportunities for advancement, and this group of

diverse individuals is valuable to employers because it is in high demand (Kilber,

Barclay, & Ohmer, 2014). It is essential to organizational success to retain the talents

and skills Generation Y offers to employers (Aruna & Anitha, 2014; Kilber, Barclay, &

Ohmer, 2014).

The usage of mobile devices is increasing due to the increase in global mobile

phone usage, and it is predicted to increase by 100.6% by 2020 (Chhateja & Jain, 2014).

Mobile marketing is in demand because it is more individualized to the end user.

Generation Y has experienced a life that is filled with diversity, and Generation Y is

constantly connected to the Internet and social media. Generation Y is great at multi-

tasking and associated technology with efficiency in the workplace (Aruna & Anitha,

2014; Chhateja & Jain, 2014). Generation Y is connected, and the usage of smartphones

as a communication tool increases the chances of communication. Due to the exposure to

mobile devices, Generation Y prefers to use them for all communication (Barry, 2014;

Chhateja & Jain, 2014). Generation Y can solve problems due to their expert gaming

skills, and these individuals prefer teamwork that allows them to collaborate on

assignments (Aruna & Anitha, 2014; Barry, 2014). One must understand that teamwork

requires team members to be committed and utilize multiple styles of communication

(Barry, 2014).

One of the most important issues facing human resources professionals is the

recruitment of employees. One of the largest factors they are facing is dealing with

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generational differences (Solnet, Kralj, & Kandampully, 2012). Research shows

significant differences in employee attitude with Generation Y. Generation Y wants to be

valuable to their employer. Training is one way that an organization can prove their

commitment to a Generation Y employee. Recruitment policies and procedures must be

shaped toward the interest of Generation Y in order to recruit and retain these highly

trained individuals (Brown, Thomas, & Bosselman, 2015; Festing & Schafer, 2014).

Leaders must be understanding of the difference between learning styles, employee

interaction, and employee expectations to engage multiple generations in order to

minimize conflict, increase efficiencies, and reduce turnover among the employees (Chi,

Maier, & Gursoy, 2013). Every generation has unique values in the workplace, and

organizations must focus on recruiting and retaining Generation Y (Festing & Schafer,

2014).

Multi-Generational Recruitment

Companies have a strategic plan to reach as many candidates as possible while

making their organization more recognizable in the second half of the 21st Century.

Organizations are forced to keep up with the latest developments offered by the Internet

(Melanthiou et al., 2015). The current workforce is made up of four generations

competing for the same openings in many organizations (Bosco & Harvey, 2013).

Recruitment methods have changed over the years in order to ensure person-to-

organization fit. It is clear that organizations must revamp their recruitment and selection

processes to ensure that there are plans available to meet the needs of all generations

available for employment. In some instances, organizations cannot treat recruitment as a

“one-size-fits-all” due to the challenges faced by human resources professionals (Bosco

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& Harvey, 2013). The Internet is vital to any organization’s recruitment process

(Melanthiou et al., 2015). Each generation has its recruitment preferences, and human

resources professionals must be savvy to ensure openings are filled by the right

candidates. Managers must ensure that hiring practices are non-discriminatory while

attracting a diverse group of applicants to create a competitive organization (Bosco &

Harvey, 2013). Serious legal issues may arise when utilizing social networking as part of

an organization’s recruitment process, and many organizations have found issues

internally with the usage of social media while on the job (Hidy & McDonald, 2013).

77% of job postings from recruitment headhunters are posted on LinkedIn. Recruiters

mine social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn for potential applicants as

well as any pertinent data that would disqualify then from the recruitment process (Hidy

& McDonald, 2013).

Bosco and Harvey (2013) suggested that multiple recruitment sources must be

utilized in order to gain the interest of highly qualified applicants. Recruitment practices

must attract candidates from all generations available to fill an organization’s vacancies

(Bosco & Harvey, 2013). One of the greatest obstacles facing human resources

professionals is promoting an organization that is attractive to both old and young

employees (Arellano, 2015; Melanthiou, Pavlou, & Constantinou, 2015). Arellano (2015)

learned that large organizations must brand themselves to be exciting and new in order to

recruit the best combination of candidates. Technology advancements have brought

about many of the differences between the four generations in the workforce. There has

to be a balanced work environment for all generations to be productive. Technology

allows collaboration between co-workers; however, some individuals do not share the

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same beliefs about technology in the workplace. Generations cannot be placed in a

category just by their age. There are multiple variables to managing and recruiting new

applicants. In this competitive environment, employers must find workers who have the

competencies to meet the needs of the organization and the right individuals are needed

to create a motivated workforce with experience and knowledge to complete the jobs

successfully (Arellano, 2015).

Melanthiou, Pavlou, and Constantinou, (2015) reported that the Internet has been

integrated into many organizations’ daily operations. Many organizations are using

social media in organizational branding campaigns to reach a wide audience. An

organization’s brand recognition ensures a successful recruitment process as well.

Traditional recruitment has transformed into e-recruitment that allows organizations to

reach a larger pool of candidates. E-recruitment has brought cost reductions and time

efficiency to recruitment and selection, and by utilizing social networks, employee

referrals can create savings for an organization. E-recruitment has increased the

opportunity for organizations to find quality applicants with skill sets desired for building

an organization’s competitive advantage. (Melanthiou et al., 2015).

Melanthiou et al., (2015) also found that E-recruitment is not without risks. The

costs associated with E-recruitment technology can be a deterrent for many organizations,

and the selection of the social networking site must be a careful decision. Organizations

who select the wrong social networking platform may be inundated with applications to

review, and the organization may not have the right pool of candidates with the proper

skills for the open positions. Legal issues such as discrimination may arise when social

networking sites are used to screen candidates (Melanthiou et al., 2015).

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Social Media and Recruitment

In the current economy, organizations who recruit the wrong individuals can

expect a decline in the company’s profits, and it is extraordinarily difficult to recover the

time one spends on managing the wrong employee (Carter, 2015). Organizations must

find the candidates that represent the best of the best in their fields, and new employees

must be able to perform the essential functions required by the job immediately (Ferri-

Reed, 2013). Carter’s (2015) contribution to the literature found that recruitment costs

for middle management may reach as much as “six times the annual salary,” (p. 27), and

this does not take employee morale or relationships with customers into account. Most

organizations have found employee referrals to be an excellent source for job applicants,

and social networking may be one of the ways to reach out to your network of contacts.

Organizations do not have to depend on their human resources professionals as a sole

source of applicants. Research has shown that job applicants who were sourced through

social networking may be a better fit than applicants sourced through conventional

methods (Carter, 2015). Human resources professionals are making the most of

employee’s social networking accounts in order to implement cost-savings in the

recruitment process (Gibbs et al., 2015). Organizations are currently facing a labor

shortage of trained professionals, and the ability to recruit and select trained talent is

paramount as the shortage of workers will persist (Festing & Schafer, 2014). Trained

professionals create a competitive advantage for organizations, and organizations must be

attractive to recruit the top talent on the market at any given time to support strategic

organizational initiatives (Festing & Schafer, 2014).

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Oginni and Ogunyomi (2012) stated that organizations need to be more selective

during the hiring process in order to brand the organization’s reputation. Hiring decisions

can have a long-lasting impact on an organization’s brand, and it is crucial to find the

correct person-to-job fit during the recruitment process. Hiring decisions are imperative

to build a successful organization, and candidates consider an organization’s brand when

searching for a career. Recruitment is essential to onboarding new hires with the

potential to move an organization forward in a competitive environment. An

organization’s onboarding of new hires builds their reputation, and it can have an impact

on the organizational image within the community (Oginni & Ogunyomi, 2012). Social

media allows organizations to find supplementary information on the prospective

employee’s personality, interests, and values that may not be communicated through the

traditional application and resume (Dutta, 2014).

Organizations are unable to depend on traditional recruitment techniques due to

the changes in the current economy (Kessler et al., 2012). Social media is on track to

becoming the “locomotive of job recruitment in the 21st century” (Hindy & McDonald,

2013, p. 73). Kessler et al., (2012) found the Internet has opened a path to human capital

that offers an improved candidate-to-job match while reducing recruitment budgets. E-

recruitment is on the rise, and candidates may actively search for employment with ease

(Kessler et al., 2012). McFarland and Polyhart (2015) added that social networking could

be a source of connection between applicants and an organization. With social

networking, an organization can find new applicants expediently while increasing the

odds of finding the best fit for the position. Organizations who use social networking can

utilize the employees’ network of contacts to reach applicants for the open positions.

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Social networking can assist an organization with the selection process as long as they

can identify the applicant’s competencies and skills for the position. Once the applicant

is selected, social networking can also be utilized to share information and allow open

communication for questions and answer sessions (McFarland & Polyhart, 2015).

E-recruitment is growing into one of the top recruitment techniques utilized in

developed countries (Holm, 2012). Government agencies are entering into the e-

recruitment of job candidates, and it has been found that agencies are receiving

significantly more applicants while reducing turnover (Selden & Orenstein, 2011). Many

applicants are using the Internet to find opportunities in the competitive job market, and

organizations are expanding their e-recruitment process to attract a diverse group of

applicants. Selden and Orenstein (2011) found that e-recruitment reduces the cost of

hiring by 87% per candidate hired by the organization. Social networking use and misuse

can play a role in hiring decisions (Hidy & McDonald, 2013).

Human resources professionals are strategically involved in the engagement,

hiring, and retention of employees from multiple generations (Cogin, 2012). The Internet

has become the most popular channel for recruiting human resources (Fulgence, 2015).

In order to find qualified candidates when an opening occurs, companies must select the

best applicants, and it is difficult to find the right applicants. E-recruitment helps

organizations and candidates find the right person-to-job fit (Kessler et al., 2012). The

importance of comparing traditional recruitment to e-recruitment techniques such as

social media cannot be ignored (Dutta, 2014).

In looking at U.S. government e-recruiting websites, Seldon and Orenstein (2011)

reported that all state agencies in the U.S. are utilizing some type of e-recruitment

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website; unfortunately, e-recruitment does not guarantee a favorable outcome with this

recruiting technique. Studies have investigated the success of e-recruitment by surveying

hiring managers within state government. The look and the feel of the website as well

ease of use have been found to be important to applicants. Ease of use in e-recruitment

can be essential to attracting applicants, and state agencies should focus on improving the

user’s experience in order to increase applicant flow for open positions. E-recruitment

sites should control the accuracy of information on their website in order to allow

applicants to screen the job openings to ensure the right person-to-job fit (Selden &

Orenstein, 2011).

Appropriate selection criteria must be set ahead of time in order to hire the most

qualified individuals (Fulgence, 2015). There is limited research on the impact

technology has on an organization’s recruitment strategies (Fulgence, 2015). Holm

(2012) states that recruitment activities must be organized to recognize and invite

prospective candidates who are competent in their career fields. Teoh, Tan, and Chong

(2013) found external candidates are utilizing social networking as one of their primary

job search tools, and LinkedIn is frequently utilized by organizations as a recruitment

source for applicants. E-recruitment leads to cost reduction and efficiency for human

resources professionals. Internet recruitment is continuously growing, and employers

must pay attention to their on-line recruitment information, appearance, features, and

functions to attract the right candidates (Teoh et al., 2013). Organizations must evaluate

recruitment strategies and processes to align with current recruitment technology (Holm,

2012). The perceptions of candidates are affected by the information provided by the

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organization, and the Internet can be useful in linking an organization’s site to social

networks (Teoh et al., 2013).

According to Teoh et al., (2013) web appeal is necessary, and organizations

cannot afford not to adopt Internet recruitment to entice the new generation’s positive

attitude towards recruitment technology. Employers have no other alternative, and

employers should follow this practice if they intend to recruit high-quality human

resources (Teoh et al., 2013). There is an emerging trend to encourage candidates to

utilize social media in their job search (Madera, 2012). The design of the e-recruitment

website is essential in attracting the right applicants for each opening to ensure the correct

hiring decisions are made to help guarantee a favorable outcome for both the applicant

and the organization (Selden & Orenstein, 2011).

Generation Y continues to enter the workforce in record numbers, and employers

must adopt social networking technology as part of their recruitment processes.

Technology is what defines Generation Y because the Internet, cellular, and social media

all reached their prominence during their growth years (Alexander & Sysko, 2013; Travis

& Nichols, 2015). U.S. organizational success hinges on understanding and adapting to

the Millenials’ work ethics. With the new data, Generation Y has surpassed previous

generations in the U.S. workforce, and organizations must take a new recruitment

approach to ensure the right candidates are attracted and interested in working for their

companies (Black, 2015). These unprecedented demographics for recruiters require

refined recruitment strategies that include social media presence to attract candidates

from multiple generations, and Generation Y may even prefer this to gain critical

company data and information (Black, 2015). Millenials search for businesses who

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utilize mobile technology, and organizations must have a website that is mobile friendly

to attract Generation Y candidates (Black, 2015). Recruitment practices must be well

balanced to attract multi-generational candidates who drive today’s workforce.

Employers must explore alternative recruitment practices and policy ramifications as they

relate to hiring and retaining Generation Y (Bolton et al., 2013). It is more important to

look at the person-to-organization fit with Generation Y. Organizations must incorporate

technology in any way possible when communicating, recruiting, retaining, and training

millennial employees (Solnet, Kralj, & Kandampully, 2012).

According to Vokic and Vidovic (2015), it is essential to adapt recruitment

practices to include the communication style suited for Generation Y. On-line job

applications have become one of the basics for Generation Y along with researching and

viewing corporate websites and social media. Generation Y utilizes technology to

evaluate future employment opportunities, and it is imperative to utilize recruitment

techniques to find applicants with comparable qualities from multiple generations (Vokic

& Vidovic, 2015). Organizations need recruitment and hiring procedures that have been

vetted to produce successful new employees, and it is essential to compare your

procedures to industry standards in order to establish the best plan for an organization

(Costanza & Finkelstein, 2015).

Facebook and LinkedIn are becoming daily sources for all recruiters, and online

social networks are a new development in e-recruitment (Buettner, 2014). Human

resources professionals have filtered electronic support tools into the recruitment of

human resources (Buettner, 2014). Sameen and Cornelius (2015) found that

organizations are using LinkedIn to gain information about prospective candidates during

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the selection process. This allows organizations to engage candidates in applying for

open positions. Candidates use social networking to search for open positions passively,

and recruiters must turn them into potential candidates for their positions. Organizations

are following passive individuals who may be potential applicants for openings (Sameen

& Cornelius, 2015). Organizations must understand Generation Y in order to attract and

recruit Millennials (Smith & Nichols, 2015). Managers must change and improve their

leadership methods as well as integrate technology into the workplace to attract and

motivate Generation Y (Smith & Nichols, 2015).

Many organizations are utilizing social networking in the recruitment and

selection of Generation Y (Sameen & Cornelius, 2015; Madera, 2012). Madera (2012)

suggested that LinkedIn seems to be most popular for human resources professionals who

are prescreening candidates electronically. Human resources professionals are utilizing

social media when vetting applicants during the selection process to ensure the candidate

has provided the correct background and work history through the application process.

Social media allows a low cost and reliable approach to verifying a candidate’s

information which can increase the organization’s competitive advantage. Organizations

who utilize social networking to obtain candidate verification data must explain this to

applicants in advance in order to ensure the process is perceived to be fair (Madera,

2012).

Organizational branding is often utilized to portray a picture for the younger

generations to connect with the workplace, and the recruitment techniques utilized by

organizations must be designed to attract Generation Y (Ozcelik, 2015). Branding is

significant to all industries (Simmons & Waller-Davies, 2015). A candidate’s perceived

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expectations from the recruitment and selection process are critical to applicants

considering job offer acceptance (Merkulova et al., 2014). It is imperative that an

organization understand that candidates select jobs the same as organizations try to select

their employees as this is the initial exchange during the selection process (Merkulova et

al., 2014). The recruitment and selection stage is where candidates form their first

impressions of an organization, and organizations should try to gear their processes to

meet the needs of their applicants (Merkulova et al., 2014). Generation Y is accustomed

to constant change with technology, and the ability to change with technology could

allow Generation Y employees to reach full capacity with their workload more rapidly

than their predecessors (Ozcelik, 2015). Employee engagement is essential to

organizational success, which lends itself to high levels of employee enthusiasm and

motivation (Ozcelik, 2015). It is vital to assess a potential employee’s ethical values to

ensure they are in alignment with the organization’s brand (Ozcelik, 2015). Traditional

methods of recruitment are not seducing Generation Y into the application pool

(Simmons & Waller-Davies, 2015).

McFarland and Polyhart (2015) reported that social networking lends itself to

recruitment; however, the guidance available for proactive policies and procedures is

diminutive. Social networking can be beneficial to a vast number of human resource

professionals from recruitment and selection to employee development. Social

networking allows open interaction between the applicants and the organization, and

organizational information can become available in a matter of a few minutes (McFarland

& Polyhart, 2015).

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Social Media as a Means of Communication

Social media has significantly changed the way in which employees and

organizations communicate with each other (Ngai, Tao, & Moon, 2015). Jenkins-

Guarnieri, Johnson, and Wright (2013) stated that social media usage could cause both

positive and negative influences among users. Social media allows both young and old to

communicate and reconnect with acquaintances, classmates, and relatives. Social media

is integrated into everyday life as Generation Y increases their Internet usage (Jenkins-

Guarnieri et al., 2013). The enjoyment one receives from social media usage is one of

the strongest factors influencing the continued use of such applications (Curran &

Lennon, 2011). Facebook is a popular means of communication, and it has become

increasingly important to communication for Generation Y (Bevan, Pfyl, & Barclay,

2012; Cardon & Marshall, 2015).

Communication through social media, including Facebook, is essential to

Generation Y (Cardon & Marshall, 2015). However, users who experience negative

pressure or drama while using social media sites may feel uncomfortable, and these users

may be more likely to stop using social media as a form of communication (Curran &

Lennon, 2011). Social media usage is not about functionality any longer, and users are

more interested in the results from using it (Curran & Lennon, 2011). Employee

engagement can be expedited through the use of technology such as social networking

(Ozcelik, 2015), and employees can use social networking sites, as well as

communication with their co-workers, as a research tool in order to increase productivity

(Wright, 2015).

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Prohaska (2011) found that the millennial generation is changing how businesses

communicate. Due to the use of social media sites, the Millennial generation can bring

both their personal and private lives together under one umbrella (Prohaska, 2011).

Organizations are adopting social media platforms as one of the primary means for teams

to communicate (Cardon & Marshall, 2015). The blending of technology with

generational differences in the workforce adds additional challenges for management.

Corporate CIO’s have a monumental task of creating strategic initiatives for technology

usage in the workplace and beyond. According to Cockerill (2013), social networking

can be very instrumental in building relationships and trust among constituents

(Cockerill, 2013). It is predicted that social media will be part of the standard operating

procedures in daily business tasks (Prohaska, 2011). Social networking can be utilized as

an organization’s primary communication tool (Jenkins-Guarnieri et al., 2013).

Rishel (2011) stated that the goal of deliberative democracy is to improve the

engagement of all citizens. Social media must be examined as a means for explaining the

deliberative process. With the increased use of social media, citizen engagement may be

improved, and the deliberative process may need to proceed with caution. A close

investigation will be necessary to safeguard against using social media as a repressive

technique (Rishel, 2011). The decision to use social media must be evaluated in order to

ensure the purpose meets the needs of the public decision-making process. A study

conducted by Huy and Shipilov (2012) has data to support that social media usage has

improved communication and collaboration, increased motivation of employees, as well

as decreased turnover.

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Technology is taking over the workplace, and social media is taking the place of

standard telephones and e-mails (Cardon & Marshall, 2015; Green, Lopez, & Venters,

2012). Social media has taken the lead in on-line communication, and social media is

forecasted to surpass traditional e-mail as the predominant communication tool in the

workplace within the next ten years (Cardon & Marshall, 2015). Gen Y currently makes

up approximately one-third of the U.S. workforce, and by 2025, 75% of the workforce

will be comprised of Gen Y workers who were born between 1979 and 2002 (Jerome et

al., 2014; Wright, 2015). Green, Lopez, and Venters (2012) suggested that this group is

known as Generation Y or Millennials, and they are extremely comfortable with

technology. Within the next decade, females will make up 60% of the total workforce,

and this group is more likely to use social media for communication than their male co-

workers. Learning is expedited in the workplace through these new technologies, and

social media is an avenue that is expanding to accommodate educational purposes. There

are several concerns regarding social media, including how to control or measure the

usage, using social media for inappropriate communications regarding the organization,

posting the wrong information through social media, and whether using social media will

compromise proprietary information. Organizations are going to have to deal with the

problem of social media, and it is better to confront it head on than to push it aside for

later discussions (Green et al., 2012). Social media is transforming the way organizations

are doing business, and progress is not always as fast as one wants it to be in the current

economy (Kiron, Phillips, & Berkman, 2013).

Carbon and Marshall (2015) reported that organizations must adapt business

practices to include social networking as a premier communication tool to engage

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Generation Y. Team collaboration is imperative to the Millennials, and management and

professionals must learn about blogs, wikis, and any other tools used to help team

members collaborate. The incorporation of social networking within the workplace may

require training on communication skills, as well as an openness to share information;

however, studies have shown that organizations using social networking as their primary

form of team communication have shown a 24% increase in profits. More than 50% of

Generation Y forecast that social media usage will increase to a level that ensures that

organizations will adopt it as their premiere team communication device (Carbon &

Marshall, 2015).

Kick, Contacos-Sawyer, and Thomas (2015), found that communication is critical

to building manager-employee rapport to ensure engagement of the workers, which

increases retention rates. Younger workers rely on social networking to build and

maintain relationships. The effectiveness of the manager-employee communication can

impact the worker's job performance. Organizations have difficulty attracting and

retaining experienced workers, and communication is key to the process. With proper

social networking policies and procedures, organizations can increase efficiency through

the use of social networking as a form of communication in the workplace. However,

Social networking may cause a decrease in communication skills, and face-to-face

communication is critical in building relationships both inside and outside of the

organization (Kick et al., 2015).

In a 2014 article, Mount and Martinez relayed how communication is vital to

discovering innovative ideas, and social networking allows interaction with consumers.

Social networking is a low-cost option utilized for collaboration. Information gathering

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occurs both inside and outside the organization, and social networking allows stakeholder

engagement in the creation of new ideas. With a wide social network, the knowledge

base lends itself to generating collective ideas due to the participation of a diverse group

of people with knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies that complement

communication. Organizations need a communication path that allows an openness to

innovative ideas, and a virtual network of people with a wide range of diverse ideas such

as social networks can link stakeholders together through virtual platforms (Mount &

Martinez, 2014).

Social Media Policies and Procedures

Prohaska (2011) suggested social media controls in the workplace can be

counterproductive. In order to generate policies and procedures that work, CIO’s will

need to involve a cross-functional group of managers to define appropriate policies for

social media both inside and outside the workplace (Prohaska, 2011). Bratton and Candy

(2013), added that an organization’s social media strategy must closely match the

organization’s strategic plans. The realm of social media use both on-and-off-the-job

requires organizations to review the ethical consequences that may arise in the scope of

daily interaction. This study states that there are very few legal guidelines available to

distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate social media usage (Bratton & Candy,

2013). According to Carr and Maier (2013), only a small portion of organizations have

developed guidelines and procedures for employee Internet and social media use. The

usage of social networking by human resources professionals has certain disadvantages

(Gibbs et al., 2015). Some the negative aspects include legal and ethical issues, lack of

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formal policies, and reliability of information obtained through the social networking

account (Gibbs et al., 2015).

According to Auer (2011), communications filter through such social media sites

and can lead to new political decisions and policies. Electronic media is available to

anyone with access to the Internet, and social media sites were intended for personal use

when introduced to the public. However, the news media has taken information from the

social media sites to influence political decisions. For example, blogs and discussion

forums allow users to share their political opinions about candidates for elections, and

social media is just another avenue to share campaign information. Facebook, Twitter,

and text messaging have become a useful tool during times of crisis, and social media and

text messages were used to raise millions of dollars for relief efforts such as the

earthquake relief in Haiti in 2010. For example, social media can be used to circulate

information for free, and millions of dollars can be raised for victims of a tragic event

using a simple request such as the “Text Haiti 90999” program (Auer, 2011, p. 712).

Auer (2011) went on to state social networking portals are allowing users to

communicate their opinions related to policies and politics. This is taking social

networking far beyond its original intentions. Generation Y bases their decisions and

opinions based on powerful information from these sites. Social networks can stabilize

and advance the similar interests as users share information through a network (Auer,

2011). This article analyzes how the use of social media influences the public policy

domain.

Social media usage in the workplace has serious legal implications for

organizations such as unlawful harassment and violation of many other laws (Hidy &

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McDonald, 2013; Lieber, 2011). Lieber (2011) warned that liability could occur in many

instances involving employment practices. This is even more reason that organizations

need policies, training, and consequences in place to defend themselves in a legal dispute.

Many employees and employers do not understand the rules, and many rules still need to

be defined (Lieber, 2011). Social media is one of the ways that employees can post

concerns about an organization legally because of the protections of the National Labor

Relations Act (NLRA). Social media rules are frequently changing, and this requires HR

professionals to stay ahead of the frequent changes in the use of social networking

technology (Lieber, 2011). Social media is integrated into every aspect of a business

organization, and organizations must consistently enforce social media policies to avoid

large litigation settlements (Lieber, 2011). McFarland and Ployhart (2015) remind us that

social networking has forced organizations to review policies and procedures to ensure

compliance with EEO and Title VII standards. Organizational leaders must make sure

legal compliance while continuing to allow open communication in the workplace,

including social networking (McFarland & Polyhart, 2015).

Ornstein (2012) also reminds us that businesses must deal with the use of social

media in the workplace and the legal issues that arise out of monitoring employees

through social media sites. As the use of social media rises, businesses are awaiting the

results from current legal cases to determine the rights of employees and employers. The

widespread use of social media sites has increased tremendously in the past few years.

Many businesses have approved the use of social media for work purposes, which brings

a whole new set of on-the-job issues to the workplace. Business organizations have

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reputations to protect, and there has to be a balance between employee and employer

rights (Ornstein, 2012).

As many as 73% of organizations have elected not to protect themselves with

liability coverage for cyber and social media claims (“Socially Acceptable,” 2011).

Banning social media usage in the workplace all together could be very detrimental to the

organization. Organizations implement bans in order to prevent critical information from

leaking outside the company. Social media encourages employee engagement, and a ban

may do “more harm than good” (“Socially Acceptable,” 2011). The absence of a good

sound policy can be a bigger problem for organizations than the leakage of sensitive

proprietary information. Social media lends itself to employer liability suits under Title

VII, and the legal system is just now starting to consider social media harassment (Gelms,

2012). The walls of the workplace continue to expand which complicates the definition

of workplace harassment. Social media has blurred the lines in the workplace, and

technology is here to stay. Gelms (2012) states that the best defense against these legal

issues is to construct a policy that includes social networking guidelines (Gelms, 2012).

There is limited research on social media governance, and the lack of best practices for

social media communication guidelines requires organizations to rely on other

performance goals and clear expectations as it relates to social networking (Linke &

Zerfass, 2013).

It is imperative that organizations develop practices that will allow them to find

the human capital necessary to replace the aging workforce (Chand & Tung, 2014; Ertas,

2015). As our workforce ages, organizations must change their attitudes and practices for

dealing with a multi-generational workforce. The labor force is shrinking, and

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organizations around the world are competing for the same qualified candidates.

Generation Y looks for organizations that are changing with new technology, and it is

essential to have policies and procedures in place to attract a healthy combination of both

old and young to reduce employee relations issues (Chand & Tung, 2014). Government

agencies have a significant challenge to attract Generation Y as they have a higher

turnover rate, and procedures should be friendly to a more transient workforce (Ertas,

2015).

Social networking can be useful for the retention of Generation Y, and as long as

organizations create policies and standards for professionalism, social media allows

workers to stay connected for collaboration and learning (Gagnon & Sabus, 2015). By

implementing technology-friendly practices, workers can access their work at any time or

place. As long as workers have a clear direction, social networking can be beneficial to

connecting with customers, gathering and sharing information, as well as training and

education. As social networking continues to converge with daily business practices, it is

clear that effective standards must be in place to effectively maintain on-line

communication (Gagnon & Sabus, 2015). Limitations are infiltrating the workplace as it

relates to social media usage, and organizations must be careful about utilizing

information without a prospective employee’s permission. Furthermore, termination of

employees that result from the misuse of social networking has forced organizations to

track employee usage online (Hidy & McDonald, 2013).

Social Media and Human Resources

As trends in human resources continue to support social media’s significance in

the recruitment process, employers have found the trend to be productive and useful in

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the identification and screening of human capital (Hidy & McDonald, 2013). According

to Hauptmann and Steger (2013), social networking helps people become better

connected and opens up a window of transparency. E-mail is becoming obsolete, and

social media has brought about changes in the communication channels to include virtual

meetings and document sharing. Social media recruitment usage is growing due to the

ability to stay connected with the job market. Generation Y has grown up with

technology and retaining Generation Y is one of the largest problems for human

resources professionals (Burch & Strawderman, 2014). Sherman (2015) states that

Generation Y prefers clear communication through various media such as texting and

social media. In 2012, a study was conducted by Harris Interactive and ESET showing

that 81% of workers utilize mobile technology to do their work, and an increasing

number of workers are allowed to work at home (Miller-Merrell, 2012). Social media

has become a professional business tool with 70% of U.S. adults using social networking

sites (Miller, Hodge, Brandt, & Schneider, 2013). Social media is still in its infancy, and

as much as 26% of people around the world have been exposed to some social media

platform (Poba-Nzaou, Lemieux, Beaupre, & Uwizeyemungu, 2016). Many

organizations are refraining from the usage of social networking even with the benefits

that have been uncovered to improve organizational performance. Human resources

professionals are moving from the old format of paper and pencil to a technology-driven

strategic human resource platform (Poba-Nzaou et al., 2016).

Human resource professionals value social networking as a critical tool for

managing human capital (Poba-Nzaou et al., 2016). The utilization of social networking

in terms of cost savings and generation of human capital benefits has generated value for

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both the employee and employer in the hiring process (Janta & Ladkin, 2013).

According to Miller et al. (2013), up to 40% of employers are utilizing social networks to

search for candidates’ background information. The Internet is integral to the recruitment

of Generation Y, and this generation investigates prospective employers to determine the

ability to use social media on the job (Miller et al., 2013). Social media technology has

heightened organizations’ interest in communication and networking relations with

recruiters. Organizations must ensure that all viewpoints are presented fairly even when

the target audience may have opposing opinions of the practice; otherwise, the campaigns

may not be considered authentic (Bowley & Henderson, 2010). Organizations should be

careful of how deep they draw the line with social media as job applicants are aware of

the bans against Internet usage. Organizations must ensure that technology is integrated

into the organization as well as human resources management. Due to the expansion of

the availability of social networking sites, human resources professionals’ decisions are

expected to be impacted regarding selection and retention of employees in the workplace

(Brown & Vaughn, 2011).

Due to the increase in social media usage, organizations’ human resources

representatives must be actively communicating and enforcing codes of conduct.

Workplace romance is a time-consuming issue for large organizations. A survey

conducted by Vault.com discovered that 60% of workers who responded to the survey

had been involved in some type of workplace romance (Jones & Mainiero, 2012). Social

networking provides a forum for new complaints of hostile work environments between

coworkers. Training must be provided by organizations to teach employees about the

appropriate behavior inside and outside the workplace (Jones & Mainiero, 2012).

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Employees must be periodically reminded that computers and cell phones used in

inappropriate behavior are discoverable by law (Jones & Mainiero, 2012). Due to the

lack of case law on the topic of social media, human resources professionals must make

decisions on personnel matters often fall within a gray area. Even when a matter arises

from outside the office, human resources professionals must investigate the matter.

The use of technology in the workplace has skyrocketed due to the portability of

computers, digital assistants, and tablets (Mello, 2012). Due to the increase in social

media sites, communication between co-workers, friends, and business contacts has

changed directions. According to Mello, there are 800 million active users on Facebook,

and 50% of those users are communicating on Facebook on portable technology (Mello,

2012).

A large portion of organizations now uses social media as a daily communication

tool. At this time, there are no issues with employee privacy if social media is used by

employees through an employer-sponsored website or company e-mail. Organizations

must be open-minded when developing procedures for policing social media usage in the

workplace. Social networking and technology can be utilized to meet organizational

goals and strategies (Miller-Merrell, 2012). As Generation Y infiltrates the workforce

over the next ten years, human resources professionals must learn to understand this

segment of the workforce. Organizational communication should be clear and easy to

understand, and since workers currently have some type of mobile communication tool at

their disposal, human resources professionals can ensure the adoption of mobile

technology as a source of external communication with their workers (Miller-Merrell,

2012).

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Social media, when used correctly, will create a competitive advantage for those

organizations that choose to adopt the technology. Researchers such as Sarringhaus

(2011) predict that social media will be the next strategic initiative to bring patients and

healthcare workers closer together (Sarringhaus, 2011). With multi-generational

employees and patients, this could be the next significant shift in the healthcare field.

Social media connections allow hospitals to communicate with the community and

patients alike. As of 2011, there were only 965 U.S. hospitals who are utilizing social

media as a communication tool (Sarringhaus, 2011). Millennials (individuals born from

1979 through 2000) in the workplace have grown up in a time of constant changes in

technology (Sarringhaus, 2011). In order to retain the millennial generation, more

healthcare facilities are going to have to explore social media technology for the

workplace. There is already a documented shortage of nurses, and healthcare providers

are competing for the recruitment and selection of qualified nurses and physicians. The

shortage of nurses is due to the limited number of seats available for nursing programs

across the U.S., and the number of nurses nearing retirement. The use of social media in

recruiting practices may reduce the costs of locating the next generation of applicants as

the successful recruitment and selection of one qualified nurse may cost an employer up

to $10,000. Social media may become instrumental to healthcare providers who are

trying to keep the Millennials engaged, and social media may provide a more cohesive

work environment as the baby boomers retire.

Adding to Ross and Slovensky (2012), human resource (HR) professionals in U.S.

companies are using social media sites to find information about applicants to select the

best applicant for the open position. In the traditional HR department, professionals rely

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on applications, cover letters, and resumes to sift through job applicants. However, many

times this information is incorrect or embellished to make the applicant look good on

paper. Social networking provides another valid source of applicant data. If prospective

employees have misrepresented themselves on paper, social networking sites allow

professionals to verify the applicants’ credentials. With the increase of legal cases,

employers must be careful of hiring the wrong person. Employees who involve

themselves in illegal activities can cost a company substantial amounts of money in legal

fees. However, employers must be careful when using social media as a screening tool;

the information on someone’s Facebook or Twitter account may not be representative of

the applicant’s work performance (Ross & Slovensky, 2012).

Miller-Merrell (2012) reported that HR professionals must be aware of both the

positive and the negative issues associated with using social networking sites in the

recruitment and selection process. Many organizations are using social networking as

part of their external branding to present their external face to the community. Social

networking allows organizations to establish rapport with job applicants as well as

consumers. Candidates can utilize the social networking technology to investigate their

future employer before submitting their vitae for the open position; this tendency of a

candidate’s self-screening can increase the quality of the applicants for an open position.

Organizations who hold back from implementing the latest technology may jeopardize

their competitive advantage, and it is imperative to select the right candidates for a job.

Organizations must be able to reach a broad selection of candidates, and the selection

technology should increase their chances of reaching their target applicant pool with best

skills to meet the needs in a competitive market (Miller-Merrell, 2012).

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Ertas’ (2015) review of Millennial attitudes towards employment retention found

that the aging workforce has drawn attention for human resources professionals in the

public sector. The recruitment and retention of human capital have surfaced as a

significant issue in government agencies due to the number of employees that will need

to be replaced in the near future. Government agencies must determine the best program

of action to lure Generation Y into open positions. This group of employees is

accustomed to changing jobs to in order to build their career, and Generation Y changes

jobs more frequently and appears to be flexible about career choices. As experienced

workers leave the workforce, human resources professionals must be prepared to hire and

train the newer, unskilled employees to fill the gap. The current workforce has

extraordinary diversity, and the public sector must find new ways to motivate employees.

Opportunities for growth and excellent leadership will be necessary to lure Generation Y

into the workplace (Ertas, 2015).

According to Farrell and Hunt (2014), training Generation Y for future

promotional opportunities will be paramount as older workers leave the workforce for

retirement. Organizations must provide clear direction to manage Generation Y

successfully. In order to build a trained workforce, human resources professionals must

provide interactive training that allows workers to engage in activities that are relevant to

the job as Generation Y is in tune with technology. Generation Y strives for continuous

improvement, and social media technology allows them to collaborate with their co-

workers. On-the-job training and shadowing are appealing to Millennials as a style of

learning a new job. Generation Y will not hesitate to change positions if their needs are

not met in the workplace; however, organizations who value their workers will be more

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successful in retaining this generation of workers. Training must be developed to engage

workers of all ages in the workforce (Farrell & Hurt, 2014).

Ferri-Reed (2013) suggested that as Generation Y continues to enter the

workforce, organizations must develop a complete orientation process to help employees

be productive from day one on the job. Organizations who allow new employees to have

input into their orientation process may build employee engagement from the beginning,

and an automated orientation is preferred by the Millennials through the use of

technology and videos. The use of social media may allow these employees to

communicate and collaborate on any subject or topic that is relevant to the position from

company practices and history to the day-to-day protocol (Ferri-Reed, 2013). As

organizations face day-to-day challenges involving the recruitment and retention of new

employees, it is essential to adopt methods that will attract and engage workers in order

to retain them long term (Winters & Jackson, 2014). Strategies must be updated by

human resources management to target the work values of Generation Y (Winters &

Jackson, 2014). Mobile technology allows organizations to build employee engagement

by sending messages directly to the employee’s mobile device (Miller-Merrell, 2012).

Open communication is essential to Generation Y, and an organization’s work values

must provide a basis for a working relationship that provides the younger workers with

the closeness needed to ensure ongoing connectedness to build bonds within an

organization (Winters & Jackson, 2014).

Summary

As the field of human resources faces changes in diversity, the economy,

globalization, and technology, human resources professionals have to face challenges in

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the recruitment and selection of human capital. With a multi-generational workforce,

organizations must communicate with prospective employees by utilizing different

platforms that portray the organizational image that candidates find to be attractive in an

employer. Many organizations have multiple generations in the workplace, and

technology is a driving factor for prospective job candidates to commit to an

organization.

The use of social media as an applicant recruitment tool is still in its infancy, and

the business world has not realized its full potential nor liabilities. Social media has

taken off over the last decade, and it is taking the business world by storm. Business

organizations must address social media usage inside and outside the workplace through

HR policies and procedures, which impact every area in an organization. Social media

has required the addition of new administrators and staff in business organizations in

order to manage social media usage. Social media provides limitless opportunities that

are at a business organization’s fingertips. Through the use of social media, business

organizations have the chance to connect with all employees and business stakeholders

that never existed before the creation of tools such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and

YouTube.

Managers must be prepared to change their management style as it relates to

communication with employees. Many organizations have multiple generations under

one roof, and it may be necessary to develop communication styles to meet the needs of

the employees. Managers must celebrate diversity, and it is essential to get to know all

employees. Many factors impact social media usage, and organizations must be ready to

meet the communication challenges they face with every generation.

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Employee engagement is critical to organizational success, and social media

technology seems to be creating a challenge for many organizations. Organizations who

have found that social media is beneficial to their daily operations are using it to

communicate, market their products and services, and even train their employees. The

problem that arises with any new technology tool is how to monitor and eliminate

inappropriate usage by their employees without stifling creativity. All organizations want

to attract and retain top talent to generate a competitive advantage for their organization,

and news travels when organizations are not allowing employees their freedom of

expression.

Communication is essential to any organization, and organizations are going to

have to move forward to keep up with technology. By allowing employees to use social

media, human resources professionals must be ready to create a balance with guidelines

that clearly define what is appropriate and inappropriate for the employees on and off the

job. The proposed topic of the inability to recruit Gen Y in proportionate numbers to the

labor force from the human resources recruiters perspective in a two-year college system,

in the Southeastern United States requires immediate attention due to the lack of legal

parameters surrounding the use of social media. This research will be beneficial to

business organizations, and human resources professionals as the explosion of social

media usage continues to infiltrate personal and professional communications between

employees and business stakeholders.

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Chapter 3: Research Method

This qualitative case study explores how recruitment techniques facilitate the

recruitment process for Gen Y from the human resources recruiter’s perspective in a two-

year college system, in the Southeastern United States. Using the case study method, a

purposeful sample of 23 human resource professionals within a two-year college system,

in the Southeastern United States were asked to participate in this study that included one

college system which has a system-wide human resources office and a human resources

office at each of the 22 locations. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data

regarding the perceptions of human resource professionals in order to fulfill the purpose

of this study. An analysis of all interviews was conducted in order to identify the general

patterns in the recruitment technology processes between each of the technical college

participants. The interview questions can be reviewed in Appendix A of this document.

The qualitative method with the technology acceptance theory enabled an

exploration of how recruitment techniques facilitate the recruitment process for Gen Y

from the human resources recruiter’s perspective in a two-year college system, in the

Southeastern United States. A qualitative approach allowed inquiry into the barriers

potential, perceived to e-recruitment techniques. However, qualitative studies can be

subjective, which allows the risk of researcher bias, and it was paramount to ensure that

any issues of bias were eliminated in this qualitative research design (Creswell, 2014).

Appropriate qualitative research techniques were implemented to ensure that the research

findings were free of bias.

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Research Design

A qualitative case study was utilized for this research study. This method is

useful in research of topics that have very little information on record (Leedy & Ormrod,

2009). Utilizing a qualitative methodology enabled examination of a pertinent, current-

day phenomenon relevant to real-world situations (Yin, 2014). A case study allowed the

researcher to collect and analyze new data as well as review old documents and records

(Leedy & Ormrod, 2009). Qualitative research is a subjective approach that will allow

the participants to share their personal experiences during the interview process of this

study (Trochim & Donnelly, 2008). The focus of the research addressed the purpose of

the study concurrently with gathering data from the straightforward responses to the

open-ended interview questions (Graebner et al., 2012). Qualitative studies allow the

researcher to collect specific data through a natural setting from the participant’s

perspective (Patton, 2002; Yin 2014).

The qualitative method was most appropriate for this case study due to the open-

ended nature of the study. Using the qualitative method allowed the researcher to focus

on the open-ended questions as well as the views of the participants. Specifically, open-

ended questions allowed the researcher to understand how social media impacts

recruitment decisions in hiring and retaining Generation Y. Case studies can be valuable

to understand a particular problem or situation when the emphasis is needed on decision-

making procedures (Noor, 2008; Yin, 2014).

Population

The population of this study included hiring managers from the Department of

Human Resources at a two-year college system, in the Southeastern United States. These

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professionals were contacted to participate in this study due to their firsthand knowledge

of the changes brought by social media usage in the recruitment process in the technical

college environment. The population was appropriate to investigate the recruitment

process of Generation Y within a two-year college system, in the Southeastern United

States. The target population symbolizes the role of human resources professionals who

are facing challenges in the recruitment of qualified candidates. This study utilized

purposeful sampling to identify the participants. For the purpose of this study, human

resources professionals from a two-year college system, in the Southeastern United States

were interviewed. A minimum of 23 human resource professionals within a two-year

college system, in the Southeastern United States, were asked to participate in this study

that included one college system which has a system-wide human resources office and a

human resources office at each of the 22 locations. There are various position titles

throughout the individual colleges in Georgia such as human resources coordinator,

human resources officer, and human resources director. Participants had to be currently

employed with one of the colleges in order to be included.

Materials/Instrumentation

The data collection method for this case study featured an interview guide using a

semi-structured interview process with open-ended questions in order to obtain insight

from the participants regarding current recruitment techniques (See Appendix A). Open-

ended questions in the interview guide replicated the exploratory purpose of the study

(Farrell & Petersen, 2010; Graebner et al., 2012; Patton, 2002). With the use of

questionnaires, it is possible to collect substantial amounts of data to describe or explore

the questions without controlling the communicative events (Yin, 2014). A case study

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allowed the researcher to look at policies and procedures in depth through extensive data

collection as well as interviews and observations (Leedy & Ormrod, 2009). This method

was used to analyze the data from each of the representatives from a two-year college

system, in the Southeastern United States. As data was collected during the study, the

researcher put all the information into categories in order to look for patterns or themes

from the research data. Conclusions can be made from a basic case and applied to other

cases or studies. The researcher has discussed any patterns or connections that were

found to contribute to the project.

Study Procedures

Data were collected utilizing semi-structured interviews to obtain data to build

upon current literature and theory to make generalizations about the effective recruitment

methods, especially as it relates to Generation Y. The Institutional Research Board (IRB)

at Northcentral University (NCU) and the research site approved this research proposal.

Once approval was received, the human resources professionals at the system-wide

human resources office and each of the human resources offices of the 22 locations was

contacted by email to participate in this study voluntarily. Participants expressed their

interest in participating through the NCU email system. After the preliminary

information about this study had been provided to the participants, each participant

received a Letter of Informed Consent to provide their signature of voluntary

participation. Participants were informed that this study was completely voluntary, and

their refusal to participate would carry no negative repercussions.

To participate in this study, participants had to be responsible for human

resources functions as well as recruitment within a two-year college system, in the

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Southeastern United States. Based on the criteria utilized in the IRB application,

participants had to be between the ages of 18 to 65, as this would be the typical age range

of human resources professionals in this system. This two-year college system, in the

Southeastern United States, consisted of one college system which has a system-wide

human resources office and a human resources office at each of its 22 locations. Each of

the 23 human resources professionals was contacted via email to participate in this study

voluntarily. The researcher received 10 letters of informed consent, with 10 volunteers

completing the interviews, to provide a viable sample in that they were human resources

professionals who own the recruitment process. All participants were human resources

professionals ranging in title from Executive Director of Human Resources, Director of

Human Resources, Assistant Director of Human Resources, and Human Resources

Coordinator. All 10 of the participants were females who had job titles explicit to their

part in the college system and ranged between the ages of 39 to 59. Confidentiality was

protected by utilizing a unique code for each participant. Each participant completed a

semi-structured interview with the researcher, which was convenient to the participant’s

schedule. The interview guide provided the framework to ensure the data collection

would address the research questions of this study.

The data saturation point was determined when similar responses and information

were shared by the participants (Corbin & Struass, 2007). The data saturation point was

reached after collecting data from 10 participants. The transcripts from each interview

are stored on the researcher’s password protected laptop, which is backed-up to the

researcher’s password-protected USB drive. All hard copies of paper documents are kept

in a locked file at the researchers home office. After the data collection process had been

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completed, the data was organized by each interview question presented in the interview

guide to gain perspective on the participant’s responses to each question. The researcher

used NVivo software to compare each of the participant’s responses to the interview

guide questions which support the research questions in this study. This allowed the

researcher to provide the viewpoints of each participant on a specific question and

allowed the researcher to compare the data from each interview on various constructs

designed in the interview guide (Atchinson & Palys, 2008).

Data Collection and Analysis

This case study used a purposeful sample of 23 human resources professionals

within a two-year college system, in the Southeastern United States. Using semi-

structured interviews, all human resources professionals were asked the same questions to

collect the perceptions of these individuals to see if there are any patterns in the data;

however, follow-up questions were asked of each participant based on the responses

given during the interview. A case study allows the researcher to look at the procedures

in depth through extensive data collection (Leedy & Ormrod, 2009). This case study

method can be used to explore the recruitment tools utilized by each of the colleges in

Georgia as well as a two-year college system, in the Southeastern United States Office.

As data was collected during the study, the researcher put all the information into

categories in order to look for patterns or themes from the research data. Conclusions

were made from a basic case and applied to other cases or studies. The researcher has

identified any patterns or connections that were found to contribute to the project.

This research required the collection of the recruitment policies and procedures

from all technical colleges in Georgia. After careful review of the procedures of each

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college, the human resources directors were interviewed in order to gain insight

concerning how e-recruitment techniques, such as social networking, facilitate the

recruitment process for Gen Y from the human resources recruiter’s perspective in a

college environment. The interviews were conducted through a semi-structured process

with open-ended questions. This design allowed the researcher to adjust the questioning

based on the responses of each participant. Data was coded in order to provide

confidentiality to ensure each human resources professional remained anonymous. Data

analysis began during the data collection process, which allowed the researcher to

determine if there was any triangulation of the data (Leedy & Ormrod, 2009). The results

of this research will help answer many questions about the use of e-recruitment

techniques such as social networking to improve the successful recruitment of Gen Y

employees.

Using the case study method allowed the researcher to begin the data analysis

during the process of collecting data (Leedy & Ormrod, 2009). This research study was

set up to discover business strategies for the use of social media using a case study. This

method is commonly used when an in-depth study is needed in regards to a research

topic. Social media seems to be a mystery to many organizations, and according to

Leedy and Ormrod (2009), this method lends itself to learning more about the situation

with sparse information (Leedy & Ormrod, 2009). This research looked at the colleges in

Georgia to determine what recruitment techniques have impacted the successful

recruitment of Gen Y employees. The data was analyzed using NVivo as the qualitative

data analysis tool.

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Assumptions

The primary assumption of this multiple case study was that the documentation of

the target population from a purposeful sample would demonstrate the practices and

processes utilized by human resources professionals. Participants were all hiring

professionals within a two-year college system, in the Southeastern United States. The

population was appropriate to investigate the recruitment process of Generation Y within

a two-year college system, in the Southeastern United States. The target population

symbolized the role of human resources professionals who are facing challenges in the

recruitment of qualified candidates. A postulation of this study was to obtain information

from at least 10 participants utilizing the purposeful sample from this qualitative case

study.

Limitations

Qualitative research is not quite as formal and inflexible as quantitative research;

however, the entire process is well documented (Marais, 2012). The data collected

during a qualitative study are more “rich” (Neill, 2007, p. 2). Qualitative research allows

the opportunity for more open discussion with the research participants, and the results

may be used as a basis for other research theories. Qualitative research also has its

limitations, and the research is subjective. According to Neill (2007), qualitative research

is “time-consuming” as well as “less able to be generalized” (Neill, 2007, p. 2). This type

of research can lead to researcher bias due to the researcher’s personal involvement in the

study. According to Castellan (2010), “we cannot safely generalize a cause and effect

relationship” with the qualitative method, and the data can be difficult to manage and

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organize which may cause the researcher difficulty in explaining the research (Castellan,

2010, p. 12).

Delimitations

Delimitations contribute to reducing the scope of the research, which is to explore

recruitment practices including e-recruitment techniques. A main delimitation of this

study was the multiple case-study research design comprised of a purposeful sampling,

selecting participants from the human resources professionals within a two-year college

system, in the Southeastern United States (Yin, 2014). A foremost restriction of this

study includes the concentration of human resources professionals’ insights of

recruitment practices including e-recruitment. The scope of this study on Generation Y:

The influence of e-recruitment techniques narrowed the factors that may impact the

successful recruitment of human capital.

Ethical Assurances

As a result of the implementation of ethical guidelines through The Belmont

Report, researchers must comply with the principles of beneficence, respect for persons,

and justice (Bates & Cozby, 2012). These guidelines are critical to ensuring that the

treatment of individual participants is fair and consistent with the framework of the study.

It is critical for all participants to be informed of both the benefits and the risks associated

with the study. All details must be included in the written informed consent. All

information must be clear and unambiguous to the participants, and it is the researcher’s

responsibility to ensure that participants have the mental capacity to make informed

decisions.

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The Institutional Research Board (IRB) at Northcentral University (NCU) and the

research site approved this research proposal. Once approval was received, the human

resources professionals at the system-wide human resources office and each of the human

resources offices of the 22 locations was contacted by email to participate in this study

voluntarily. Participants were asked to voluntarily participate in this study in order to

avoid skewed or untruthful responses. Participants expressed their interest in

participating through the NCU email system. After the preliminary information about

this study had been provided to the participants, each participant received a Letter of

Informed Consent to provide their signature of voluntary participation. Participants were

informed that this study was completely voluntary, and their refusal to participate would

carry no negative repercussions. All participants had the right to withdraw from this

study, and participants were allowed to skip any interview questions that made them feel

uncomfortable. The data from all individual participants was kept confidential. The

transcripts from each interview are stored on the researcher’s password protected laptop,

which is backed-up to the researcher’s password-protected USB drive. All hard copies of

paper documents are kept in a locked file at the researchers home office. Confidentiality

is critical in the field of business research, and individual participants remained

anonymous. As a rule, all participants must have the right to withdraw from the study in

case the study unintentionally causes undue stress to an individual (Bates & Cozby,

2012).

This case study was reviewed by the IRB at NCU, and the study was deemed to

be in the category of “minimal risk” (Bates & Cozby, 2012). Minimal risks are no

greater than what the participant would encounter through activities in their daily lives

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such as routine physical or psychological testing (Bates & Cozby, 2012). According to

Bates and Cozby (2012), when dealing with minimal risk research, the IRB approval

process should be straightforward, and the time frame for IRB approval should be

significantly reduced. This research study was conducted in the most timely and ethical

manner possible. It was critical to ensure that the results of this study would make a

meaningful contribution to the field of business management especially with the limited

information available on the use of social media as a recruitment method in the

employment process.

Summary

The case study method lends itself to the analysis of e-recruitment techniques

such as social networking. Using the case study method, a purposeful sample of 23

human resource professionals within a two-year college system, in the Southeastern

United States was asked to participate in this study that included one college system

which has a system-wide human resources office and a human resources office at each of

the 22 locations. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data regarding the

perceptions of human resource professionals to fulfill the purpose of this study. This

qualitative case study allowed the flexibility necessary to obtain the participant data for

this study, and it was paramount to ensure that any issues of bias were eliminated

(Creswell, 2014). Data were coded in order to provide confidentiality to ensure each

human resources professional remained anonymous. Data analysis began during the data

collection process, and this allowed the researcher to determine if there was any

triangulation of the data (Leedy & Ormrod, 2009).

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Chapter 4: Findings

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore and identify problems

and issues surrounding the inability to recruit Gen Y employees in proportionate numbers

to the labor force. A problem exists when organizations are unable to find quality

candidates for job openings (Burch & Strawderman, 2014; Holm, 2012). Jerome et al.,

(2014) stated that human resources professionals are facing an extraordinary challenge as

workforce demographics continue to evolve as it relates to Generation Y. Black (2015)

states that there are 53.5 million Gen Y workers in today’s labor force, and human

resources professionals must refine their recruitment strategies that include social

networking sites (SNSs).

Using a case study method, a purposeful sample of 23 human resource

professionals, within a two-year college system, in the Southeastern United States, were

contacted to participate in this study. This study was completed at one college system

which has a system-wide human resources office and a human resources office at each of

its 22 locations. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data regarding the

perceptions of human resource professionals to fulfill the purpose of this study. An

analysis of all interviews was conducted utilizing NVivo software to identify the general

patterns in the recruitment processes between each of the human resources participants.

NVivo software helped to organize the qualitative data from this study.

This chapter presents the results of the qualitative case study. In addition to the

purpose and the importance of the problem addressed in the study, this chapter provides

the research findings in relationship to the research questions and themes that emerged

from the data analysis. The research data was interpreted for each interview which

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allowed for a cross-case analysis to signify the consistent and prevailing patterns that

emerge from these ten interviews (Atchison & Palys, 2008; Stake, 2006; Yin, 2014).

Trustworthiness of Data

Data was collected utilizing semi-structured interviews to obtain data to build

upon current literature and theory to make generalizations about the effective recruitment

methods, especially as it relates to Generation Y. The Institutional Research Board (IRB)

at Northcentral University (NCU) and the research site approved this research proposal.

Once approval was received, the human resources professionals at the system-wide

human resources office and each of the human resources offices of the 22 locations were

contacted by email to participate in this study voluntarily. Participants expressed their

interest in participating through the NCU email system. After the preliminary

information about this study had been provided to the participants, each participant

received a Letter of Informed Consent to provide their signature of voluntary

participation. Participants were informed that this study was completely voluntary, and

their refusal to participate would carry no negative repercussions.

To participate in this study, participants had to be responsible for human

resources functions as well as recruitment within a two-year college system, in the

Southeastern United States. Based on the criteria utilized in the IRB application,

participants had to be between the ages of 18 to 65, as this would be the typical age range

of human resources professionals in this system. This two-year college system, in the

Southeastern United States, consisted of one college system which has a system-wide

human resources office and a human resources office at each of its 22 locations. Each of

the 23 human resources professionals was contacted via email to participate in this study
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voluntarily. The researcher received 10 letters of informed consent, with 10 volunteers

completing the interviews, to provide a viable sample in that they were human resources

professionals who own the recruitment process. All participants were human resources

professionals ranging in title from Executive Director of Human Resources, to Director

of Human Resources, Assistant Director of Human Resources, and Human Resources

Coordinator. All 10 of the participants were females who had job titles explicit to their

part in the college system and ranged between the ages of 39 to 59. Confidentiality was

protected by utilizing a unique code for each participant. Each participant completed a

semi-structured interview with the researcher, which was convenient to the participant’s

schedule. The interview guide provided the framework to ensure the data collection

would address the research questions of this study.

The data saturation point was determined when similar responses and information

were shared by the participants (Corbin & Struass, 2007). The data saturation point was

reached after collecting data from 10 participants. The transcripts from each interview

are stored on the researcher’s password protected laptop and backed-up to the

researcher’s password-protected USB drive. All hard copies of paper documents are

stored in a locked file at the researchers home office. After the data collection process

was completed, the data was organized by each interview question presented in the

interview guide to gain perspective on the participant’s responses to each question. The

researcher used NVivo software to compare each of the participant’s responses to the

interview guide questions which support the research questions in this study. This

allowed the researcher to provide the viewpoints of each participant on a specific

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question and allowed the researcher to compare the data from each interview on various

constructs designed in the interview guide (Atchinson & Palys, 2008).

Results

Interviews were conducted with each of the 10 participants from a two-year

college system, in the Southeastern United States. This research was conducted over a

30-day period from February 3, 2017, through March 3, 2017, resulting in a purposeful

sample of 10 participants. All participants were human resources professionals ranging

in title from Executive Director of Human Resources, to Director of Human Resources,

Assistant Director of Human Resources, and Human Resources Coordinator. All 10 of

the participants were females who had job titles explicit to their part in the college system

and ranged between the ages of 39 to 59.

A semi-structured interview guide consisting of 13 open-ended questions was

utilized for each of the participants. The interviews captured full, rich data from each of

the 10 participants’ experiences. The interview guide ensured that each participant was

asked the same questions during the interview to provide a framework for the data

collection to address the research questions. The semi-structured interview process

ensured that all participants were asked the same interview questions for consistency in

reporting the data. Interviews were transcribed into Word documents, and all responses

from the participants were imported into NVivo software for comparison of each of the

participant’s responses. Table 1 reflects the demographic data results of the case study

participants below.

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Table 1

Case Study Participants Demographic Data Results

Signed
Participant Interview Informed
Code Date Consent Job Title Age Sex
6-09 02-28-2017 Yes Human Resources Coordinator 55 Female

22-05 02-23-2017 Yes Human Resources Coordinator 42 Female

21-06 02-27-2017 Yes Director of Human Resources 41 Female

25-02 03-01-2017 Yes Director of Human Resources 39 Female

7-10 02-28-2017 Yes Human Resources Coordinator 58 Female

1-01 02-22-2017 Yes Director of Human Resources 54 Female

25-08 03-01-2017 Yes Human Resources Officer 59 Female

3-03 02-24-2017 Yes Assistant Director of Human Resources 45 Female

16-07 02-28-2017 Yes Director of Human Resources 52 Female

23-04 02-28-2017 Yes Executive Director of Human Resources 57 Female

The results of the study are presented below with Q1 presented, which is

followed by Q2 and Q3.

Research Question 1. How successful are the recruitment techniques utilized in

recruiting qualified Gen Y candidates in a two-year college system, in the Southeastern

United States?

The overall response to RQ1 is that human resources professionals for this study

confirmed that various techniques are required in the recruitment process. Several of the

participants are utilizing traditional recruitment methods along with websites,

professional associations, and journals, and recruitment sites (e.g. CareerBuilder,

Facebook, Indeed, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Zip Recruiter). The most effective, least

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effective, and technology usage were major areas of interest in this study. In the

discussion of Generation Y recruitment techniques, several participants confirmed that

technology usage and social networking were necessary to attract potential candidates.

However, college websites and newspapers are still being utilized in the recruitment

process depending on the location and type of position recruited for within the

organization.

Most effective. Participants stated that the most effective recruitment strategies

overall include Chronicle of Higher Education, industry specific organizations and

publications, local newspapers, recruitment websites such as Indeed and Zip Recruiter,

and social media. Participant 3-03 and Participant 6-09 both agreed that the Chronicle of

Higher Education worked best in their organizations. Recruitment websites worked well

for participants 6-09, 7-10, 16-07, 22-05, 23-04, 25-02, and 25-08, and Participant 21-06

stated that “being from a smaller community, advertising in the local newspapers is still

the most effective method for us.”

Most effective for Generation Y. When participants were asked specifically

about Generation Y recruitment strategies, those born between 1979 and 2002, two

participants stated that they do not differentiate recruitment methods for Generation Y.

However, an overwhelming majority stated that online strategies such as the Internet, on-

line job centers, social media, and websites have proven to be most effective for

candidates in this age group. According to participant 22-05, “any on-line strategy is

most effective for Gen Y candidates.” Participants 7-10, 16-07, 21-06, 23-04, and 25-08

all agreed with the Internet and websites were critical in the recruitment of Generation Y.

Participants 1-01, 3-03, 21-06, and 25-08 all stated that social media has proved to be

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most effective. One of the participants stated that social media is the most effective

recruitment strategy for Generation Y due to the popularity, and “the engine of choice for

many of the Generation Y candidates.” Participant 6-09 stated that “we do not

differentiate in our recruitment strategies by age groups,” and participant 25-02 shared

that “we have not specifically targeted our recruitment efforts to attract Generation Y

candidates.” These results align with comparable findings from Aleknavicius (2016),

Burch and Strawderman (2014), Chong, Tan, and Teoh (2013), Holms (2012), Jerome,

Quain, Scales, and Whithem (2014), Kultalahti and Viitala (2015), and Neiberline et al.

(2015).

Figure 1

Most Effective Recruitment Techniques for Generation Y Data Results

Least effective. Participants stated that the least effective recruitment strategies

overall include job boards, job search engine sites, local college websites, and newspaper

advertisements. Four of the ten participants stated that old school methods such as

newspaper advertisements were costly and ineffective recruitment strategies. Participant

22-05 stated that “most newspapers are all digital now, and many individuals will no
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longer read a print edition of a paper.” According to participant 21-06, “Advertising in

larger newspapers (e.g. Atlanta, Augusta, Macon, and Savannah) is least effective” due to

the costs and the unwillingness of candidates to relocate to a smaller community.

Participant 3-03 and Participant 7-10 both agree that newspaper advertisements are least

effective.

Least effective for Generation Y. Participants were asked specifically about the

least effective recruitment strategies for Generation Y, and fifty-percent of the

participants found newspaper advertisements as the least effective method for this age

group. According to participant 21-06, “Generation Y candidates don’t read

newspapers,” and “they get their news on-line.” Participants 1-01 and 22-05 both

reiterated that Generation Y does not read the newspaper. Participant 6-09 stated that

their recruitment strategies depended on the difficulty of filling a vacant position, and

participant 23-04 do not track the effectiveness of recruitment methods. Participant 3-03

stated that “traditional recruiting is least effective,” and “we have to be more creative and

tech savvy” when recruiting Generation Y.

Figure 2

Least Effective Recruitment Techniques for Generation Y Data Results

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Technology use. Participants were asked about the use of technology in the

recruitment process for open positions, and sixty-percent have very little concern when

using technology for recruitment of candidates. Nine out of ten participants utilize social

networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or YouTube. According to

participant 7-10, “technology is our way of life.” Participant 25-02 stated that “I prefer

the use of technology in the recruitment process,” and “I appreciate the benefits of being

able to reach a wider candidate pool.” Some of the concerns surrounding the use of

technology included the lack of human interaction, lack of technology skills in the older

generations, and the lack of policies, rules, and laws governing the use of the Internet and

social media (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube). Participant 22-05 stated

concern for “the older generations and their lack of technology skills.” It is clear that

organizations must revamp their recruitment and selection processes to ensure that there

are plans available to meet the needs of all generations available for employment. In

some instances, organizations cannot treat recruitment as a “one-size-fits-all” due to the

challenges faced by human resources professionals (Bosco & Harvey, 2013, p. 17). The

Internet is vital to any organization's recruitment process (Melanthiou et al., 2015).

The results of this study were consistent with Aleknavicius, 2016, Kultalahti and

Viitala, 2015, and Neiberline et al., 2015. Organizations must implement millennial-

friendly strategies to be attractive to candidates with the competencies necessary to take

the organization to the next level (Neiberline et al., 2015). It is an overwhelming

challenge to create recruitment and selection practices to include all of the differences

between the generations (Aleknavicius, 2016). Human resources professionals have the

daunting task of finding competent individuals to commit to an organization (Kultalahti

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& Viitala, 2015). The results of this study were consistent with the literature. According

to participant 1-01, “Social media has proven to be the most effective” recruitment

technique in the field of education. Other participants stated that websites and social

networking sites such as Chronicle of Higher Education, Facebook, Indeed, LinkedIn,

Twitter, and Zip Recruiter are found to be the most effective recruitment strategies in the

overall recruiting process.

Figure 3

Technology Usage in Recruitment

Research Question 2. In each two-year year college, who determines which

recruitment techniques to use?

Participants discussed their job title, position, duties, and responsibilities. All

participants were human resources professionals ranging in title from Executive Director

of Human Resources, Director of Human Resources, Assistant Director of Human

Resources, and Human Resources Coordinator. The duties and responsibilities of each
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participant included the recruitment and selection of potential job candidates for their

respective location. Depending on the vacant positions, each participant had the authority

to utilize various recruitment methods to maximize the number of applicants for each

vacant position. The difficulty of filling the position was the overarching factor in

determining which of the various recruitment techniques would be utilized when starting

a search for job candidates.

Participant 1-01. Participant 1-01 was a director of human resources. This

participant was a 54-year old female. She had responsibility for all human resources

processes to include investigations, administering benefits, FMLA, EEOC claims,

workers comp, staffing, training, leaves of absence, Title IX complaints, review and

assess policy and procedures, provide administrative guidance to faculty and staff, as well

as compiling and distributing statistical data.

Participant 3-03. Participant 3-03 was the assistant director of human resources.

This participant was a 45-year old female. She had responsibility for the recruitment of

candidates.

Participant 6-09. Participant 6-09 was the human resources coordinator. This

participant was a 55-year old female. She had responsibility for recruiting, facilitating

interviews, and hiring for Academic Affairs, External Affairs, Library Services and all

Executive level positions. This participant also manages the online transcripts storage for

full-time faculty and supervises a human resources technician that is responsible for all

Adjunct, Lab Assistant and Tutor positions.

Participant 7-10. Participant 7-10 was a human resources coordinator. This

participant is a 58-year old female. She had responsibility for coordinating the

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employment, application and interview process, managing personnel functions to include

benefits administration, leave records, personnel transactions, workers’ compensation,

processing midpoint reviews and performance management forms, as well as,

coordinating the grievance procedures (i.e.Title IX and harassment procedures),

coordinating and maintaining Affirmative Action Plans, coordinating the training of new

managers and employees with matters related to Positive Discipline, and ensuring

compliance with legal training and notifications.

Participant 16-07. Participant 16-07 was a director of human resources. This

participant was a 52-year old female. She served as the human resource management

resource for the College’s eleven campuses administrating on all human resources issues

and concerns. This participant had responsibility for benefits administration,

compensation, retirement pension administration, contracts, recruitment, retention,

staffing and search committee’s formulation, as well as, new hire orientation, policy

development and implementation, employee relations, and payroll.

Participant 21-06. Participant 21-06 was a director of human resources, as well

as, auxiliary services. This participant was a 41-year old female. She managed the

human resource functions, including compensation, benefits, recruitment, employee

relations, training and personnel/payroll transactions for the College. This participant

also implemented personnel policies and procedures and supervised a payroll technician.

Participant 22-05. Participant 22-05 was a human resources coordinator. This

participant was a 42-year old female. She had responsibility for composing open job

position postings and posting open positions on various job center websites. This

individual screened applicants based on the requirements of position, while working with

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hiring managers by providing a list of interview eligible applicants and interview

questions. This participant initiated the hiring process by checking references, making job

offers, conducting criminal background checks, processing new hire paperwork, and

conducting new hire orientation.

Participant 23-04. Participant 23-04 was an executive director of human

resources. This participant was a 57-year old female. She had responsibility for all

human resources functions as well as payroll.

Participant 25-02. Participant 25-02 was a director of human resources. This

participant was a 39-year old female. She had responsibility for recruitment and

retention, as well as, advertising and searching for qualified candidates to fill open

positions.

Participant 25-08. Participant 25-08 was a human resources officer. This

participant was a 59-year old female. She had responsibility for recruitment, job

classification, performance management, and overseeing the onboarding process.

These results align with comparable findings from Arellano (2015), Bosco and

Harvey (2013), Fulgence (2015), and Melanthiou, Pavlou, and Constantinou (2015).

Managers ensured that hiring practices are non-discriminatory while attracting a diverse

group of applicants to create a competitive organization (Bosco & Harvey, 2013).

Appropriate selection criteria were set ahead of time in order to hire the most qualified

individuals (Fulgence, 2015). One of the greatest obstacles faced by human resources

professionals was promoting an organization that is attractive to both old and young

employees (Arellano, 2015; Melanthiou, Pavlou, & Constantinou, 2015). Organizations

had difficulty finding workers who have the competencies to meet the needs of the

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organization, and the right individuals are needed to create a motivated workforce with

experience and knowledge to complete the jobs successfully (Arellano, 2015).

Research Question 3. How do the human resources professionals in a two-year

college system, in the Southeastern United States utilize e-recruitment techniques to

recruit Gen Y candidates?

When discussing e-recruitment techniques, each participant was asked to describe

the utilization of social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or

YouTube in their local recruitment process as well as financial costs, legal ramifications,

and privacy concerns regarding the use of e-recruitment technology. Sixty percent of the

participants stated that they are using some type of social networking site to recruit for

vacant positions. Seventy percent of the participants do not have any concerns about the

financial costs in the recruitment of candidates through social networking sites. An

overwhelming majority of the participants do not have any concerns regarding legal or

privacy issues related to e-recruitment technology.

Facebook, LinkedIn, other social networking sites. Six out of ten participants

are utilizing social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or YouTube in

the local recruitment process. When recruiting for positions that are difficult to fill,

participants are using various methods to attract qualified candidates for the position.

Participant 21-06 stated that on occasion and with difficult positions, the position

announcements were posted “on the College Facebook and Twitter pages.” Facebook,

LinkedIn, and Twitter were stated to be an effective e-recruitment method. Participants

do not use social networking sites for all vacant positions. Participant 25-02 stated that

“we do not extensively use social media in our recruitment process,” and “if we do, it is

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typically through the organization’s Facebook and Twitter pages.” According to

participant 1-01, “if the position is critical, and we need to reach a larger audience” the

job announcement will be placed on Facebook. Human resources professionals have

moved from the old paper and pencil format to a technology-driven strategic human

resource platform and value social networking as a critical tool for managing human

capital (Brown & Vaughn, 2011; Janta & Ladkin, 2013; Mello, 2012; Miller, Hodge,

Brandt, & Schneider, 2013; Poba-Nzaou et al., 2016).

Other e-recruitment techniques. Nine out of ten participants are utilizing some

types of e-recruitment techniques in the local recruitment process including Generation

Y. Participant 22-05 stated that posting on “websites associated with the position” (i.e.

Culinary Arts Instructor) and “websites such as Zip Recruiter” are excellent tools for

recruiting for open positions. College websites, the system office website, various on-

line sites are utilized by all participants. Chronicle of Higher Education, emails,

industry-specific job sites and various college on-line job centers are also popular among

the participants that were interviewed. Social networking sites were one of the most

popular methods for recruiting Generation Y. Participant 1-01 stated that social media is

the most popular and the engine of choice for Generation Y. Participant 21-06 stated that

“we post positions internally, in local newspapers, on the college website, as well as on

the college Facebook and Twitter accounts.” Generation Y preferred clear

communication through various media such as texting and social media (Miller-Merrell,

2012; Sherman, 2015). Opportunities for growth are necessary to lure Generation Y into

the workplace (Ertas, 2015).

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Financial costs. Financial costs of utilizing social networking sites in the

recruitment of candidates do not seem to be a major concern. According to participant

25-02, “the cost would not be the determining factor for us.” Seven out of ten

participants stated that the costs were not a determining factor when using social

networking as an e-recruitment technique. Depending on the vacancy, Participant 25-02

stated that “social networking sites may be more useful.” Participants stated that social

networking sites could be cost effective when compared to newspaper advertisements.

Participant 16-07 stated that social networking sites were “much cheaper.” Organizations

must be able to reach a broad selection of candidates, and the selection technology should

increase their chances of reaching their target applicant pool with best skills to meet the

needs in a competitive market (Ertas, 2015; Miller-Merrell, 2012).

Privacy and legal issues. Six out of ten participants stated that they do not fear

the legal ramifications from using e-recruitment technology. Participants 1-01, 6-09, 21-

06, 22-05, 23-04, and 25-02 all agreed that legal ramifications were not a deterrent from

using electronic e-recruitment techniques. Several of the participants stated that the

underlying recruitment process is the same, and the only difference is handling the

process electronically. The main concern from several participants was to discriminate

against certain demographic groups unintentionally. Participant 25-08 stated that “there

is a danger of judging applicants before they are interviewed face-to-face by what they’ve

posted online about themselves.” Participant 3-03 stated that policies, rules, and laws are

needed to govern the recruitment process through the Internet and social networking

sites. Participant 16-07 stated that human resources professionals must make an effort to

improve the recruitment and “onboarding of employees more “user-friendly,”” and the

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recruitment process must be “appealing” to all applicants. As social networking

continues to converge with daily business practices, it is clear that effective standards

must be in place to effectively maintain on-line communication (Gagnon & Sabus, 2015;

Hidy & McDonald, 2013; Poba-Nzaou et al., 2016). Participant 3-03 stated “I am not

sure the guidelines are solid,” and “I am worried about respecting the rights of the

candidates.”

Seven out of ten participants stated that privacy concerns regarding the use of e-

recruitment technology in the search for candidates for an open position are not a major

issue at the current time. Participant 22-05 stated applicants must provide the same

information regardless of the tool or technology utilized in the recruitment process, and “I

actually prefer the electronic process over the paper process; it is less time consuming

and more efficient.” Participants indicated as long as the solicited information during the

recruitment process remains confidential, there are no privacy concerns. Participant 1-01

stated that e-recruitment techniques streamlines recruitment efforts and provides an

organized model in comparison to paper methods. One of the concerns from participant

16-07 is that too many people within the college have access to protected information of

the applicant. Numerous individuals are involved in the hiring process at this site which

gives the interview panel access to protected information on each candidate interviewed

for a position. Participant 3-03 stated that “HR professionals need to solidify the

guidelines, and we need to have laws in place governing the use of the Internet when

completing background checks.” These results align with comparable findings from

Bosco and Harvey (2013), Ertas (2015), Fulgence (2015), Gagnon and Sabus (2015),

Hidy and McDonald (2013), Miller-Merrell (2012), and Poba-Nzaou et al. (2016).

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Evaluation of Findings
The purpose of this qualitative case study was to achieve a deeper understanding

of the problems and issues surrounding the inability to recruit Gen Y employees in

proportionate numbers to the labor force. According to Participant 25-02 and scholarly

literature from this study, E-recruitment technology usage in the recruitment process has

become useful in many ways to human resources professionals. Based on the scholarly

literature, E-recruitment technology provides a cost-effective alternative to traditional

recruitment methods, and the participants found that this method of recruitment also

provided benefits such as better organization and more efficient usage of time.

Participants validated that e-recruitment technology is vital to recruiting Generation Y

candidates; however, it appears that the colleges in this two-year college system, in the

Southeastern United States are not all on board with the usage of social networking sites

such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or YouTube. Based on the data collection from this

study, the colleges utilizing e-recruitment technology are having great success.

With a majority of the participants utilizing some types of e-recruitment

techniques, this study shows that not only Generation Y is attracted to organizations that

utilize e-recruitment technology in their candidate searches, but all candidates seem to be

migrating toward technology in their job search as it provides a more productive job

search. College websites, the system office website, various on-line sites are utilized, and

success has been found utilizing the Chronicle of Higher Education, emails, industry-

specific job sites, and various college on-line job centers. Social networking sites were

one of the most popular methods for recruiting Generation Y. Participant 1-01 stated that

social media is the most popular and the engine of choice for Generation Y.

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This study showed very little concern for financial costs, legal ramifications, or

privacy issues as it relates to e-recruitment technology. E-recruitment Technology is an

additional route for human resources professionals to reach potential job candidates, and

the technology behind various recruitment methods utilized by the participants in this

study generally collects the same information electronically per participant 22-05.

Participant 1-01 stated that technology provides a larger platform to reach a more diverse

pool of candidates.

This research complements the scholarly literature on the technology acceptance

theory and e-recruitment methods by utilizing the narratives of human resources

professionals to identify the various recruitment techniques to ensure a diverse group of

candidates in the hiring of individuals for positions. Well-developed scales and theories

are needed to effectively measure the influence of social media usage on an

organization’s recruitment policies and procedures. The technology acceptance theory

appears to be the best match to appropriately identify the gaps in the current literature as

it relates to the recruitment of prospective employees (Curran & Lennon, 2011;

Elmorshidy, 2013; Koenig & Schlaegel, 2014; Patsiotis, Hughes, & Weber, 2013).

However, limited scholarly work exists from research conducted in the two-year college

system, in the Southeastern United States.

Participants validated that e-recruitment technology is vital to recruiting

Generation Y candidates; however, it appears that the colleges in this two-year college

system, in the Southeastern United States are not all utilizing social networking sites such

as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or YouTube. Based on the data collection from this

study, the colleges who use e-recruitment technology are having great success. E-

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recruitment technology should be utilized by the two-year college system, in the

Southeastern United States to improve the recruitment and selection process potentially.

Limitations to this case study were the limited number of human resources

professionals who responded to this researcher’s request for volunteers within the two-

year college system, in the Southeastern United States. All participants were females

between the ages of 39 to 59. Moreover, limitations included the number of participants

who have not been tracking the utilization of e-recruitment technology in the recruitment

and selection process. Examining several organizations enhanced the accuracy, validity,

and reliability of the results of this study encapsulating the holistic concentration of the

subject studied (Creswell, 2014).

Overall, it can be inferred that the answers extracted from the content analysis of

the interviews with the participants in this study coincided with previously published

findings by various researchers in the field of management (Black, 2015; Burch &

Strawderman, 2014; Chong, Tan, & Teoh, 2013; Green, Lopez, & Venters, 2012; Holm,

2012; Schawbel, 2014; Vitak et al., 2012). Moreover, these findings can be employed by

organizations to improve the recruitment and selection of qualified candidates

understanding the impact of e-recruitment technology on hiring and retaining employees.

Participants were of the consensus it was beneficial to utilize social networking sites to

create a qualified applicant pool in this two-year college system in the Southeastern

United States.

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Figure 4

E-recruitment Techniques Data Results

Summary

This study centered around three research questions. Each of the research

questions addressed the effectiveness of the recruitment and selection tools utilized by the

human resources professionals in a two-year college system, in the Southeastern United

States. The effectiveness of e-recruitment technology techniques was a key component

of this study. The results of this study suggested that e-recruitment technology should

not only be utilized in the recruitment of Generation Y candidates, but all candidates

seem to be migrating toward technology in their job search as it provides a more

productive job search. Social networking sites were one of the most popular methods for

recruiting Generation Y. In conclusion, these findings can be employed by organizations

to improve the recruitment and selection of qualified candidates understanding the impact
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of e-recruitment technology on hiring and retaining employees. The overall consensus of

the study participants is that it is beneficial to utilize social networking sites to create a

qualified applicant pool in a two-year college system, in the Southeastern United States.

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Chapter 5: Implications, Recommendations, and Conclusions

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore and identify problems

and issues surrounding the inability to recruit Gen Y employees in proportionate numbers

to the labor force. A problem exists when organizations were unable to find quality

candidates for job openings (Burch & Strawderman, 2014; Holm, 2012). Jerome et al.,

(2014) stated that human resources professionals are facing an extraordinary challenge as

workforce demographics continue to evolve especially as it relates to Generation Y.

Black (2015) stated that there are 53.5 million Gen Y workers in today’s labor force, and

human resources professionals must refine their recruitment strategies to include social

networking sites.

Using a case study method, a purposeful sample of 23 human resource

professionals, within a two-year college system, in the Southeastern United States, were

contacted to participate in this study. This study was completed at one college system

which has a system-wide human resources office and a human resources office at each of

its 22 locations. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data regarding the

perceptions of human resource professionals to fulfill the purpose of this study. An

analysis of all interviews was conducted utilizing NVivo software to identify the general

patterns in the recruitment processes between each of the human resources participants.

NVivo software helped to organize the qualitative data from this study.

Data collected in this study included the analysis of semi-structured interview

questions. The questions posed during this study allowed the researcher to extract actual

occurrences to be expressed in the participant’s words. An explanatory approach to the

exploration of issues surrounding the inability to recruit Gen Y employees without e-

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recruitment technology followed a holistic case study design (Yin, 2014), in the

examinations of the inability to recruit Gen Y in proportionate numbers to the labor force.

Results, based on the overall response from human resources professionals, in this

study, confirmed that various techniques are required in the recruitment process. Several

of the participants are utilizing traditional recruitment methods along with websites,

professional associations and journals, and recruitment sites to attract and find

prospective applicants for open positions. The most and least effective recruitment

sources, as well as technological usage, were major areas of interest in this study. In the

discussion of Generation Y recruitment techniques, several participants confirmed that

technology usage and social networking were necessary to attract potential candidates.

However, college websites and newspapers are still being utilized in the recruitment

process, specifically depending on the location and type of position the organization is

recruiting to be filled.

Limitations of this case study included the limited number of participants and the

lack of tracking of different recruitment technology and recruitment methods. First, this

study was limited by the number of human resources professionals, within the two-year

college system, in the Southeastern United States, who responded to this research request

for volunteers. Second, this study was limited by the number of human resources

professionals, within the two-year college system, in the Southeastern United States, who

had not been tracking the utilization of e-recruitment technology in the recruitment and

selection process.

Examining several locations, within the two-year college system, in the

Southeastern United States, enhanced the accuracy, validity, and reliability of the results

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of this study, thus encapsulating the holistic concentration of the subject studied

(Creswell, 2014). The sample size was in alignment with the purpose of this study, in the

investigation of e-recruitment, as it relates to Gen Y recruitment (Yin, 2014).

Participants were permitted to reply with honest, impartial responses to the interview

questions from the interview guide in a non-threatening environment. Procedures were in

place to gain voluntary participation. Data collection commenced after the IRB and site

approval were received, and participants submitted letters of informed consent

voluntarily agreeing to participate in the study. Signed letters of informed consent were

coded to protect each participant's identity and were stored electronically on the

researcher’s password protected laptop, which is backed-up to the researcher’s password-

protected USB drive.

This chapter presents implications from the research study data collection and

places them in the context of the existing body of knowledge as found in the literature

review. This chapter notes any limitations arising out of the study due to design or

implementation of this research study. The implications were in a format that followed

the research questions, which provided the design for this study. Finally, the chapter

provides recommendations for application, recommendations for future study, and

conclusions of this study.

Implications

This study complements the scholarly literature on the technology acceptance

theory and e-recruitment methods by utilizing the narratives of human resources

professionals to identify the various recruitment techniques to ensure a diverse group of

candidates in the hiring of individuals for positions. Well-developed scales and theories
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were needed to effectively measure the influence of social media usage on an

organization’s recruitment policies and procedures. This study utilized the technology

acceptance theory, as well as, carefully constructed interview guides to review the use of

technology and social networking in the recruitment process in a two-year college

system, in the Southeastern United States.

The technology acceptance theory was the best match, as deemed by the

researcher, to appropriately identify the gaps in the current literature as it relates to the

recruitment of prospective employees (Curran & Lennon, 2011; Elmorshidy, 2013;

Koenig & Schlaegel, 2014; Patsiotis, Hughes, & Weber, 2013). This theory stated that

the ease of technology use was a factor when the user decided to accept and utilize new

systems (Elmorshidy, 2013). The ease of use and perceived usefulness are both factors

that impacted the end users attitudes and behaviors toward the use of new technology

methods. However, limited scholarly work exists from research conducted in a two-year

college system, in the Southeastern United States, thus further research is necessary.

This study was completed at one college system which has a system-wide human

resources office and a human resources office at each of the 22 locations. All 23 human

resources offices were invited to participate in this study, with 10 agreeing to participate.

Interviews were conducted with each of the 10 participants, and data was collected from

the ten human resources professionals who agreed to participate. NVivo software was

utilized in the analysis of all interviews conducted in this study to identify general

patterns in the recruitment processes between each of the human resources participants.

The qualitative data in this study was organized based on the nodes and themes as

identified in the NVivo software.

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Research Question 1. How successful are the recruitment techniques utilized in

recruiting qualified Gen Y candidates in a two-year college system, in the Southeastern

United States? Participants validated that e-recruitment technology is vital to recruiting

Generation Y candidates; however, it appears that the colleges in this two-year college

system, in the Southeastern United States, are not all on board with the usage of social

networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or YouTube. Based on the data

collection from this study, the colleges that use e-recruitment technology are having great

success. This two-year college system, in the Southeastern United States, could

potentially improve the recruitment and selection process by having all colleges use e-

recruitment technology on a regular basis. The implications from this study indicate that

organizations must revamp their recruitment and selection processes to ensure that there

are plans available to meet the needs of all generations available for employment (Black,

2015; Brown & Vaughn, 2011; Burch & Strawderman, 2014; Chong, Tan, & Teoh, 2013;

Green, Lopez & Venters, 2012; Holm, 2012; Janta & Ladkin, 2013; Mello, 2012; Miller,

Hodge, Brandt, & Schneider, 2013; Poba-Nzaou et al., 2016; Schawbel, 2014; Vitak,

Lampe, Gray, & Ellison, 2012). Organizations that are not tracking the utilization of e-

recruitment technology in the recruitment and selection process must begin to track

applicants to determine which methods are most effective in placing successful job

candidates (Bosco & Harvey, 2013; Melanthiou et al., 2015). In some instances,

organizations cannot treat recruitment as a “one-size-fits-all” due to the challenges faced

by human resources professionals (Bosco & Harvey, 2013, p. 17). The Internet is vital to

any organization's recruitment process (Melanthiou et al., 2015).

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This study complemented the scholarly literature on the use of technology and e-

recruitment techniques such as social networking in the recruitment process. The overall

consensus of the study participants was that it was beneficial to utilize social networking

sites to create a qualified applicant pool in this two-year college system, in the

Southeastern United States. Despite the benefits of this finding, five out of ten

participants are not using social networking sites extensively in the overall recruitment

process for new candidates. As many human resources professionals discussed the

importance of e-recruitment technology in the recruitment process, including the

recruitment of Gen Y, organizations should stress the importance of a well-designed

recruitment process to include e-recruitment technology techniques including social

networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or YouTube (Black, 2015; Burch

& Strawderman, 2014; Chong, Tan, & Teoh, 2013; Green, Lopez & Venters, 2012;

Holm, 2012; Schawbel, 2014; Vitak, Lampe, Gray, & Ellison, 2012). Overall, it can be

inferred that the answers extracted from the content analysis of the interviews, with the

participants in this study, coincided with previously published findings by various

researchers in the field of management on the recruitment and selection of qualified

candidates (Black, 2015; Burch & Strawderman, 2014; Chong, Tan, & Teoh, 2013;

Green, Lopez & Venters, 2012; Holm, 2012; Schawbel, 2014; Vitak, Lampe, Gray, &

Ellison, 2012). One of the most vital jobs in the field of human resources is the tracking

of applicants, and one of the most unexpected findings in the data was the lack of

applicant tracking especially as it relates to the tracking of recruitment methods utilized

in comparison to the ability to find the greatest volume of qualified applicants.

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Research Question 2. In each two-year college, who determines which

recruitment techniques to use? Participants discussed their job title, position, duties, and

responsibilities. All participants were human resources professionals ranging in title from

Executive Director of Human Resources, Director of Human Resources, Assistant

Director of Human Resources, and Human Resources Coordinator. The duties and

responsibilities of each participant included the recruitment and selection of potential job

candidates for the college’s respective location. Depending on the vacant positions, each

participant had the authority to utilize various recruitment methods to maximize the

number of applicants for each vacant position. The difficulty of filling the position was

the overarching factor in determining which of the various recruitment techniques would

be utilized when starting a search for job candidates.

The results from this study aligned with comparable findings from Arellano

(2015), Bosco and Harvey (2013), Fulgence (2015), and Melanthiou, Pavlou, and

Constantinou (2015). Managers ensured that hiring practices are non-discriminatory

while attracting a diverse group of applicants to create a competitive organization (Bosco

& Harvey, 2013). Appropriate selection criteria were set ahead of time in order to hire

the most qualified candidates (Fulgence, 2015). One of the greatest obstacles faced by

human resources professionals was promoting an organization that is attractive to both

old and young employees (Arellano, 2015; Melanthiou, Pavlou, & Constantinou, 2015).

Organizations had difficulty finding workers who have the competencies to meet the

needs of the organization, and the right individuals are needed to create a motivated

workforce with experience and knowledge to complete the jobs successfully (Arellano,

2015).

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Research Question 3. How do the human resources professionals in a two-year

college system, in the Southeastern United States, utilize e-recruitment techniques to

recruit Gen Y candidates? With a majority of the participants utilizing some types of e-

recruitment technology, this study showed that not only Generation Y was attracted to

colleges, within the two-year college system, in the Southeastern United States, which

utilize e-recruitment technology in their candidate searches. All candidates seemed to be

migrating toward technology in their job search as it provided a more productive list of

prospective jobs. College websites, the system office website, and various on-line sites

were utilized for posting open positions at the respective college locations. Additionally,

colleges also found success utilizing the Chronicle of Higher Education, emails, industry-

specific job sites, and various college on-line job centers. Social networking sites were

one of the most popular methods for recruiting Generation Y. Participant 1-01 stated that

social media is the most popular recruitment strategy, and thus is the engine of choice for

Generation Y recruitment. The literature provided a framework indicating that human

resources professionals are moving from the old way of paper and pencil format, to a

technology-driven strategic human resource platform, and value social networking as a

critical tool for managing human capital (Brown & Vaughn, 2011; Janta & Ladkin, 2013;

Mello, 2012; Miller, Hodge, Brandt, & Schneider, 2013; Poba-Nzaou et al., 2016).

This study showed very little concern for financial costs, legal ramifications, or

privacy issues as related to e-recruitment technology. E-recruitment technology provided

human resources professionals an additional route to reach potential job candidates, and

the technology behind various recruitment methods, utilized by the participants in this

study, generally collected the same information electronically. Technology provided a

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larger platform to reach a more diverse pool of candidates. Organizations must be able to

reach a broad selection of candidates, and the selection of technology should increase

their chances of reaching their target applicant pool with the best skills to meet the needs

in a competitive market (Ertas, 2015; Miller-Merrell, 2012). As social networking

continues to converge with daily business practices, it is clear that effective standards

must be in place to successfully maintain on-line communication (Gagnon & Sabus,

2015; Hidy & McDonald, 2013; Poba-Nzaou et al., 2016). The implications identified in

this study are in alignment with comparable findings from Bosco and Harvey (2013),

Ertas (2015), Fulgence (2015), Gagnon and Sabus (2015), Hidy and McDonald (2013),

Miller-Merrell (2012), and Poba-Nzaou et al. (2016).

Finally, a common thread emerged from the semi-structured interviews and

narrative analysis. E-recruitment is critical in the recruitment of Generation Y; however,

not all human resources professionals were on board with technology use in the

recruitment process. Two of the participants were not utilizing applicant tracking tools to

determine which recruitment techniques were working well for the organization, and 50

percent of the participants were not utilizing social networking sites in the recruitment

process. The locations utilizing e-recruitment technology techniques are having great

success in finding applicants for open positions (Ertas, 2015; Miller-Merrell, 2012). It

appears the two-year college system, in the Southeastern United States, could improve

the recruitment and selection process by employing e-recruitment technology in the

recruitment and onboarding of employees. The overall consensus of the study

participants is that e-recruitment technology is beneficial in creating a qualified applicant

pool in this two-year college system, in the Southeastern United States.

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Recommendations for Application

This study complemented the scholarly literature on the technology acceptance

theory. Human resources professionals attitudes and behaviors toward technology hinges

on the ease of use and perceived usefulness of e-recruitment technology (Elmorshidy,

2013). E-recruitment technology along with the use of social networking allowed human

resources professionals to identify a diverse group of candidates in the hiring of

individuals for positions. The technology acceptance theory appeared to be the best

match to appropriately identify the gaps in the current literature as it relates to the

recruitment of prospective employees (Curran & Lennon, 2011; Elmorshidy, 2013;

Koenig & Schlaegel, 2014; Patsiotis, Hughes, & Weber, 2013). However, limited

scholarly work exists from research conducted in a two-year college system, in the

Southeastern United States.

As many human resources professionals discussed the importance of e-

recruitment technology, in the recruitment process, including the recruitment of Gen Y,

organizations should stress the importance of a well-designed recruitment process to

include e-recruitment technology techniques including social networking sites such as

Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or YouTube (Black, 2015; Burch & Strawderman, 2014;

Chong, Tan, & Teoh, 2013; Green, Lopez, & Venters, 2012; Holm, 2012; Schawbel,

2014; Vitak, Lampe, Gray, & Ellison, 2012). Overall, it can be inferred that the findings

in this study coincided with previously published findings by various researchers in the

field of management on the recruitment and selection of qualified candidates (Black,

2015; Burch & Strawderman, 2014; Chong, Tan, & Teoh, 2013; Green, Lopez, &

Venters, 2012; Holm, 2012; Schawbel, 2014; Vitak, Lampe, Gray, & Ellison, 2012).

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Moreover, these findings can be utilized, by two-year colleges in the United States, to

improve the recruitment and selection of qualified candidates understanding the impact of

e-recruitment technology on hiring and retaining employees. This two-year college

system, in the Southeastern United States, could potentially improve the recruitment and

selection process by having all colleges use e-recruitment technology on a regular basis.

Human resources professionals who participated in this study stated that they preferred

the use of technology in the recruitment process, and Participant 7-10 stated that

“technology is our way of life.” The overall consensus of the study participants was that

it was beneficial to utilize social networking sites to create a qualified applicant pool in

this two-year college system, in the Southeastern United States; however, five out of ten

participants are not using social networking sites extensively in the overall recruitment

process for new candidates. These participants stated that the lack of rules, policies, and

procedures were some of the major drawbacks to the use of technology in the recruitment

process; and the participants openly admitted that the lack of education on recruitment

technology was a concern. The participant’s lack of technology use in the recruitment

process was based on the inability to recognize the need for improving the recruitment of

prospective candidates which may limit the applicant pool of qualified individuals, as

well as, members of the Gen Y labor force.

Recruitment strategies are evolving. Human resources professionals want to

adopt new technology to improve the recruitment and selection process in order to reach

the most qualified candidates. Budgetary constraints require colleges to use cost-efficient

methods to reach a qualified applicant pool for open positions. The technology

acceptance theory requires human resources professionals to understand the candidate's

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perceptions of the use of technology in applicant recruiting. E-recruitment technology

allows human resources professionals to provide relevant information using alternate

methods, such as social networking sites, preferred by applicants, especially Gen Y.

Recommendations for Future Research

Further research is necessary to understand the environments under which the

findings of this study could be generalized. This study may have limitations due to the

participants all being female between the ages of 39 to 59. Continued research in this

field may explore if the implementation of e-recruitment technology techniques examined

in this study was beneficial to all areas of a two-year college system, in the Southeastern

United States. Moreover, researchers could explore the effect of recruiting candidates

utilizing specific e-recruitment techniques. Future research could include a qualitative

descriptive study to help provide a useful explanation of human resources professionals

reluctance to utilize e-recruitment technology techniques including social networking

sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or YouTube. A qualitative case study should

be utilized to search human resources professionals skills and usefulness while using e-

recruitment technology techniques in the recruitment and selection process.

The influence of technology was evident in this research. Future research is

recommended to understand social media usage by the human resources professionals

better. Human resources professionals in this study appear to prefer technology in the

recruitment process, and a better understanding of e-recruitment technology can provide a

direct link to finding the most qualified candidates. E-recruitment tools are evolving, and

the impact of social networking to the theoretical underpinnings of recruitment and

selection can be evaluated to educate the human resources professionals.

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Based on the findings of this study, future researchers can improve upon this

study by including the ease of use and perceived usefulness of e-recruitment technology

from the applicant’s viewpoint. Due to the limitation of participants in this study, future

researchers could include the human resources professionals from other industries to

identify any variances in the interview data on the utilization of technology in the

recruitment and selection of applicants. A study which incorporates interviews with

human resources professionals in the private sector to compare the variances in the

recruitment and selection methods utilized by both the private and public sector is also

recommended.

Conclusions

The problem identified for exploration in this qualitative case study was the

inability to recruit Gen Y in proportionate numbers to the labor force, from the human

resources professionals perspective, in the two-year college system, in the Southeastern

United States. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore and identify

problems and issues surrounding the inability to recruit Gen Y employees in

proportionate numbers to the labor force. The researcher identified how e-recruitment

technology techniques were utilized by human resources professionals in the recruitment

and selection process. The conclusions drawn from this study were based on the

transcripts of 10 participant’s semi-structured interviews, completed with the human

resources professionals, in a two-year college system, in the Southeastern United States,

who participated by providing their rich experiences in the recruitment of candidates

including Gen Y.

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This study centered around three research questions. Each of the research

questions addressed the effectiveness of the recruitment and selection tools utilized by the

human resources professionals in a two-year college system, in the Southeastern United

States. The effectiveness of e-recruitment technology techniques was a key component

of this study. The results of this study suggested that e-recruitment technology should

not only be utilized in the recruitment of Generation Y candidates; but further, the

majority of candidates seem to be migrating toward technology in their job search as it

provides a more productive job search. Social networking sites were one of the most

popular methods for recruiting Generation Y. These findings can be employed by

organizations to improve the recruitment and selection of qualified candidates

understanding the impact of e-recruitment technology on hiring and retaining employees.

The overall consensus of the study participants was that it is beneficial to utilize social

networking sites to create a qualified applicant pool in a two-year college system, in the

Southeastern United States.

The implications of themes in this study suggested that human resources

professionals need to develop robust recruitment strategies to include e-recruitment

technology and social networking. Based on the perceptions and experiences of human

resources professionals, in a two-year college system, in the Southeastern United States,

the use of technology in the recruitment process should be part of the overall recruitment

strategy for all colleges. This study highlighted the importance of e-recruitment

technology, as it relates to Generation Y candidates. Participants in this study identified

the need for technology in the recruitment process in two-year colleges in the

101
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Southeastern United States. The use of rich technology in the recruitment process

enhances the human resources professional’s ability to reach a diverse pool of applicants.

All participants in this study were found to have the responsibility for determining

the recruitment of candidates in local level processes. The human resources professionals

utilized various approaches in the recruitment process at the time of the interviews based

on the open positions to be filled by the college. While not all of the human resources

professionals were intentionally and deliberately aware of the need for e-recruitment

technology techniques, including social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn,

Twitter, or YouTube, many of the participants recognized the benefits of utilizing social

networking sites as well as various electronic sites in their recruitment process. As a

result of the data analysis and findings from this study, recommendations for applications

and future research have been proposed for human resources professionals. As

recruitment technology evolves at a fast pace, researchers have the opportunity to expand

scholarly knowledge and afford guidelines for best practices on e-recruitment technology.

102
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Appendix A

Interview Guide

Thank you for choosing to participate in this study. The purpose of this qualitative, case

study will be to uncover root causes that affect the recruitment of Gen Y and the usage of

e-recruitment techniques. Your participation in this study is greatly appreciated and will

aid in creating a better understanding regarding the recruitment and retention of Gen Y.

1. What is your age?

2. What are your job title, position, and duties?

3. Which recruitment strategies do you use in the search for qualified candidates?

4. Which recruitment strategies do you find to be most effective in your overall

recruiting efforts?

5. Thinking specifically of Generation Y candidates, those born between 1979 and

2002, which recruitment strategies do you find to be most effective in your
recruiting efforts?

6. Which recruitment strategies do you find to be least effective in your overall

recruiting efforts?

7. Thinking specifically of Generation Y candidates, those born between 1979 and

2002, which recruitment strategies do you find to be least effective in your
recruiting efforts?

8. What concerns do you have regarding the use of technology in the recruitment
process for your open positions?

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9. Do you utilize social networking sites (SNSs) such as Facebook, LinkedIn,

Twitter or YouTube personally? If yes, how much experience do you have with
SNSs?

10. Do you utilize social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or
YouTube in your local recruitment process? If so, how is it utilized?

11. Do the financial costs in the recruitment of candidates make you more likely to
use social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or YouTube to
search for candidates?

12. Do you have any privacy concerns regarding the use of e-recruitment technology
over other manual paper methods that you may have used in the search for
candidates for open positions?

13. Do you fear the legal ramifications from using electronic e-recruitment
technology?

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